In the continuing discussion on whether virtual events will succeed or fail in the associations and for profit events market, I get to read comments for and against virtual since I have my antennae up for such information. Given that Michelle Bruno and I have a dog in the fight (EastVirtual Event Workshop) I could be considered biased, but I don’t think so.
This comment posted recently on an industry association LinkedIn page caught my eye:
“I am not in a position to judge the trends, but I do find the lack of interest in virtual events interesting – and justified. I have yet to run into anyone enthusiastic about having participated in a virtual event.”
The comment was posted by a physical event supplier (hence the strong support of face-to-face events), so the comment was interesting and understandable considering the author’s apparent fear of virtual events supplanting physical events. Such a viewpoint is not unlike those of many ‘big box’ trade show producers and suppliers who fear the shrinking of their events and revenues as the result of adopting virtual strategies.
The ultimate arbiter of whether virtual survives or fails is the consumer of the information. The consumer will determine whether they want to attend an event physically, virtually or not at all. So, the focus should be on uncovering the needs of attendees and meeting them in whatever way makes the most sense rather than speculating on whether or not a whole market segment is doomed to fail. Virtual is not a solution for every problem; however, without the appropriate due diligence to determine whether or not virtual events meet the needs of customers, how would you know whether or not it is an option?