With life slowly returning back to normal, many partners have been asking, is it time we start reintroducing in person events back into our marketing strategy? The global pandemic forced all in person events to be canceled or rescheduled in 2020 so many organizations had to pivot from hosting in person lunch and learns, attending conferences, and holding in person meetings to virtual happy hours, themed webinars, and attending conferences virtually. This caused many of our partners to shift their dynamic event strategy solely to a webinar focused strategy.

After speaking with several partners in our Cloud Practice Builder Consulting programs, we noticed they all mentioned seeing a large decline in webinar registrations in the last six months. That decline could probably be attributed to the fact that many people are working remotely and are sitting in front of their computers for 8 hours a day. The last thing they want to do is attend a webinar or event where they have to sit in front of their computer for another hour. Turns out Zoom fatigue is a real thing!

Based on a survey from Northstar Meeting Group, 80% of planners are planning to hold their next in person event in 2021 and many of the partners in our Cloud Practice Builder Consulting programs are also planning on hosting and attending in person events again in 2021. Some have already started to recruit for in person events and have seen an uptick of registrations from customers who are excited to attend in person events again. On the vendor side, Microsoft is hosting their annual partner conference, Microsoft Inspire, virtually this week and a hybrid version of AWS re:Invent is scheduled for the end of November.

We will continue to see a rise in hybrid events from both our vendor and partner community and while they aren’t anything new, hybrid events allow for both in person attendance and accommodates those who might not be able to attend in person. Plus, they allow you to reach an audience that might be out of your demographic.

So, should your organization start hosting in person events again? 

Unfortunately, there is no yes or no answer, as it really depends on your organization, location, and what your customers are comfortable with. If your organization is considering having in person events, here are some of our recommendations to ensure your event is a success.

Ask Your Customers

Speak to your customers to see if they would be comfortable or interested in attending an in-person event. While some customers might be interested in attending an in-person event, others might only feel comfortable if the event is outside or if attendees are required to wear masks. Knowing what your customers are comfortable with will increase your chances of executing an event with a high attendance.

Stay Updated

Since many things are still in flux and constantly changing, ensure you are staying up to date with any local and federal government updates and changes.

Pivot

If there are any unanticipated changes, have a Plan B and be open to pivoting your strategy. Just remember to have a backup plan as you are planning the event so if there is a change, you are prepared and not scrambling at the last minute.