Events go digital

Creativity is in demand. After the Federal Council extended the ban on conventional events, corporate events are shifting to the digital space. Samsung Hall in Dübendorf has been holding hybrid events - combinations of virtual and live events - since fall 2020. According to business manager Anke Stephan, six such events took place last year, and the experience was consistently positive. "This shows that it is worth investing in live communication - despite, or perhaps because of, the current uncertainties," says Stephan.

Although a hybrid event has to be designed somewhat differently than a pure live event, this format also opens up new opportunities. In terms of reach, sustainability, measurability and interaction, there are even advantages over live events. For a hybrid event to succeed, it is important to create content and experiences for both the online audience and the on-site participants. By involving guests equally and allowing them to interact, it is exciting for everyone.

New opportunities

Since the renewed ordinance of an event ban, hybrid events with more than five guests on site are no longer possible. According to Stephan, events that have already been planned can at best be converted into purely digital formats. This depends on whether the content can be transported purely virtually, how the live content is linked to that for the online audience and how adaptable the concept is. Once these questions have been clarified and the new course has been set, the Samsung team will be able to respond flexibly and quickly to changes.

Early last week, Messerli focused on virtual and hybrid events with the webinar "live or digital?". "Of course, a virtual experience cannot completely replace the real thing. But with the right tools, virtual events can be made into a sensory and interactive experience for participants," the company says. The main advantages of an event that is broadcast online are the practically unlimited reach and the fact that the sequence is no longer tied to the linearity of the event. After the event, the digital event remains available as a recording and thus generates a long-lasting brand and product transfer.

Habegger is offering a free webinar on February 17 on the topic of "Digital Event Platforms as Brand Boost". The international expert for live communication demonstrates by means of concrete examples and applications how messages can be conveyed efficiently and sustainably without direct personal contact and haptic possibilities. "The digital event platform is not only the virtual entry point of the event, but it allows brands to experience the visitor journey online, to build a community and to communicate the message in a sustainable way," Habegger writes in a statement. Such platforms are thus true brand boosters in times of Corona.