What the New Normal of business events could look like

I am still processing the many impressions, experiences and learnings?around?SPS2021 and?the?virtual event that?we?ultimately held.?I am proud of?#TeamSiemens?for having achieved such great?outcomes?in a situation that could not?have been?more dynamic, and for having experienced the possibilities of?a?functioning?and?flexible planning so?intensively.?This made me think about the New Normal of business fairs and events.?

Trade fairs have always been places where people come together?–?traditionally on site, of course, but now?also?to cover the gap of the pandemic?virtual. A?New?Normal has not yet set?in but?based on our experiences of the last two years, it has certainly?come closer to reality.?This is why?we?intended to create a hybrid experience of our physical booth in Nuremberg combined with the virtual?capabilities of our 3D?showroom-based?event platform?for the first time at SPS.?It is obvious that the still?quite?dynamic situation of the Corona pandemic counteracts any?self-setting of a?new,?typical concept.?But?despite the cancellation of the physical?event, we reached our customers – again, but?in a different way:?With virtual features being capable to also extend the traditional setup of fairs also in the New Normal.?So how will this New Normal?-?which?already?is?on everyone's lips?-?change the?fairs?and events of the future, even after the pandemic??

Of course, the desire?within the business environment?to be?allowed?to?safely?meet face-to-face again is understandable?and present?everywhere. Nothing replaces a personal contact with (potential) customers,?partners,?journalists?and work colleagues?just to name a few.?And this doesn't even include the unique atmosphere that an on-site trade fair brings?with itself!?At the same time, this?exact?"Old Normal" is facing big questions:?Does it open?all possible doors of customer interaction??Will?travelling?to fairs remain?as popular as in the past??Or will?there be?a?financial?driven?guidance?about it?within companies??Once on-site events will be possible again, we?additionally?face the question whether people?keep?current?measures like the distancing rules or?return to?their?old habits?after all, depending on how comfortable they are with the come-back of big crowds.?

?We shouldn’t forget that?setting rules?for an event?is only the one?hand?side – it’s?as well?about?employee's?emotions being reflected in?dialogs between?employees?and management.?Will events take place with or without?having to wear?masks?or having to show vaccination, recovery or test certificates? Will people eventually shake hands again?– ever? And even if they do,?will we always have the pandemic in mind by doing that??

These questions can probably only be answered once we have the pandemic behind us. The core of?exhibiting at?any?major fair?event, at least in the foreseeable future?with the pandemic still being present, will?- and that?I am pretty sure about?–?be?one?that can be relied on?as a basis?for?a?hybrid event?in?case?of an on-site cancellation.?

As the pandemic progresses, we have all become accustomed to virtual solutions anyway.?So,?a digital base on which an event can be singularly based, but doesn't have to be, is definitely part of a possible New Normal.?Maybe as well being available the whole year extending?usage?of it?timewise.?

The?geographical aspect of?the?visitors?group?of such an event?must also be considered. For example, the?situation?regarding the?pandemic locally might not even be a big concern anymore at the location itself?and thus not pose a threat to?an?event. However, other countries could be struggling with a new wave?followed by?the consequence of increased?travelling?barriers for?their people?at the same time. Again, it is in both parties' interests to provide a virtual option for customer meetings in an attractive virtual?space?enabling discussions?by using 3D models of solutions.?Sure, sounds like a pandemic issue?which in addition is handled differently all over the world.?However, how do your?working months?look like in the virtual world today??How many?outages?do you see?by?travelling??Will?people?still?accept?finishing their tasks?some days later?due to?travelling?to international?fairs??Don’t get me wrong. Sure it will be, however?a mindset change might?also take place in?the industrial field?regarding networking and knowledge transfer.?

So,?it's by no means a matter of pure "either or." A virtual presence can be?just?as impressive as an on-site presentation of one's own products and software. After all,?experience?has shown that both a virtual and physical event bring strong and irreplaceable advantages?if done the right way. Here is just one example: A company offers solutions?that can be used in many different industries.?By extending?the on-site?setup?displaying a specific solutions for, let‘s say?the?packaging industry,?by?3D-simulated solutions for further industries in the virtual space,?the dialog with customers?can be?handled more individualized?– it’s an added value?to?the onsite?hybrid booth?and in the pure virtual setup at the same time.?

Profiting from both sides in a hybrid event as a?New?Normal seems equally smart and future-proof.?For the?remaining pandemic?I would rather offer my customer the choice between both worlds through a creative, hybrid structure than to put all my eggs in one?“on-site-basket”?as the only option and?bearing?the major risk of a complete cancellation. Hybrid therefore also?means rational investing, since?total failure is no longer possible from unpredictable?changes of the?pandemics?- a classic example of risk diversification.?In?addition,?it might be stated that the risk assessment for small fairs may differ from this and needs to be?considered uniquely for each event.?The issue could arise?if?a?fair event?organization should provide a?3D-infrastructure for exhibitors with?certain easy-to-handle and cost-efficient?showroom capabilities.??

All these statements and thoughts are certainly not set in stone for all eternity and will still undergo some change in this dynamic world. But at least until we get over this pandemic completely, it is likely that purely virtual events or hybrid events will?also strongly influence?how?the New Normal of the business event world?evolves.?

I myself am already looking forward to the New Normal, when physical appointments will once again be a daily companion in our working lives and at the same time - who knows - the advantages of virtual features will continue to exist?as an added value.?

In conclusion, all I can say is that the New Normal has already arrived, even if it has yet to become a certain standard. I am convinced that?for this moment?it is of great importance to build a virtual core, as this is the most effective measure to prevent an event from being a total failure from an economic point of view. It helps to get in touch with any customer from any country in the world - even spontaneously. I'm looking forward to the future, to thinking differently about how to add new elements to physical trade shows,?to be more flexible and?to?create an even more engaging customer experience.?

This first?step?was supposed to happen at SPS2021 already. We needed to change the plans?again.?And?we are looking forward to keep shaping fairs in 2022.?It’s our passion.?