Reinventing Live: Book Report
Every once in awhile, a book pops up in the events industry which make a difference. Over the last six months I have run across two, and not a moment too soon. Both were cover to cover reads in one sitting.
In 2020, Transitioning to Virtual and Hybrid Events By Ben Chodor and Gabriela Cyranski gave the events industry a timely and practical look at how to quickly and effectively move into a new space for most of the events community. Great read.
In 2021, Reinventing Live by Marco Giberti and Denzil Rankine, provides a frank and incredibly intuitive view of how business events can embrace the most significant black swan event in our lifetime to grow exponentially in years to come.
I HIGHLY encourage you to pick up both of these books, as they are chock full of content, industry perspective, and tools which are valuable to anyone in the events industry.
The following points jump off the page of, Reinventing Live:
- Up to 2020, business events largely escaped the need for innovation. Event ecosystem in general enjoyed 1) a tremendous financial run and 2) comfortable reliance on qualitative measures behind the power of events. The impetus for change was simply not there, until it was - immediately.
- Headwinds in the industry were just beginning pre-Covid, given a lack of performance measurement and data based design, and incoming powerful digital alternatives. A reset was on the horizon in any scenario - eventually.
- Face to face events will continue to be critical and they will be more closely aligned with and compared with performance in other parts of the marketing communications mix.
- The changes in event technology are in the early innings as investment dollars pour in and event owners more coherently embed digital in their event design.
- A 365 value proposition is imperative. The days of an annual three day industry event with relatively little engagement between events are over - forever.
- It is time to necessarily migrate from event organizer to community catalyst.
- New skillsets, new operating models, and a different structure in the relationship between event organizers and technology providers is critically important.
Note: I got to the end of this article without using the adjectives, "hybrid" or "virtual" event. We will lose these adjectives in time, and we will simply deliver events which expand in scope as they increasingly move hearts, minds and business forward, unlike any other media on the planet.
Events' time in the sun has finally come.
Thanks to the above four authors for putting in the hard work during an incredibly hectic time in our industry.
Board Member at Society For Sustainable Events (SFSE); Board Member at The Giving Exchange. I'm doing non-profit work in retirement on event sustainability and improving lives in East Africa.
3 年Great conversation this morning, Tony. Thanks for recommending this book. I can tell already from the summary that I'm going to agree with a lot of it. I agree on John Nawn's comment below. Some serious discussion will need to happen about the required skillsets within the event sector on ability to collects and analyze data, and use it to make customer-based decisions. Community-building and facilitation will also be required skills, as well as content curation. We will also need people with a far better understanding of customer engagement that is not just getting them to do things organizers want but giving them access to the things they need to be successful as well and fostering relationships not just with your company or brand but to others that can help them be successful. Kind of matchmaking on steroids.
Executive Producer at Spiro / Team leader bringing together awesome execution solutions for creative and innovative ideas
4 年Thanks Tony
President @ Wynford. Global Board Member, Brand & Experience Strategist, Travel Enthusiast, Adventure Seeker & Storyteller… mummy to my smallest fans.
4 年Great read... great share!
Business Strategist | Proven Expertise in Diversifying Revenue Growth, Event Strategy, Outcome-Driven Experience Design, Monetizing Content, and Productizing Value-Added Services
4 年I don't believe events can be reinvented without event professionals reinvent themselves. Emerging competencies like analytics (i.e., data) and community-buliding, for example, are not widely understood, much less practiced. Most industry organizations seem more vested in promoting the status quo than business model innovation, meaning change will come slowly. What's needed is for industry leaders to explain how we get there from here. It is beneficial and necessary, however, to have a vision or at least a sense of direction, which the authors deserve credit for.
Thank you Tony Lorenz and congrats Marco Giberti