https://www.meetingsnet.com/event-design-ideas/insider-s-view-2021-event-design-and-production
ARTICLE SUMMARY
In this article, Michael Dalton who is a Senior Vice President, Strategy at LEO Events has talked about how the events will take place in 2021 (Dalton, 2021). First of all, he has referred to the improved conditions for real events in the current year as compared to 2020 celebrating our positive attitude and consistent efforts to face any kind of challenges. However, he has later mentioned that although the events in 2021 will be much different than that of 2020 providing a joyful experience to the audience, there will necessarily be different safety measures to ensure the health of the attendees. Thus, he calls these events hybrid events that will achieve a great balance between value and creativity, efficiency and joy. As a part of these safety measures, people will tend to travel less and in small groups to gather at very clean spaces wearing masks and maintaining safe distances. But unlikely in 2020, they will be happy and will enjoy gatherings that will provide a physical experience of meeting with people the same as before the pandemic.
In this way, COVID safety measures will ensure the health of the people while new design, production values, and technologies will make events dramatic and theatrical to energize in-person as well as remote audiences. Lastly, the writer has mentioned the importance of technology in such events. The new technologies will enable us to provide an effective platform for in-person and remote attendees to unite with each other and become aware of each other in a way that was not explored before the pandemic. Therefore, an attendee of the events sitting at home will feel the same energy and enthusiasm as people at the event location will feel. Similarly, those who will attend the events on-site will get an understanding of new presentations and engagement techniques that are primarily designed to engage them. According to Michael Dalton, this is exactly what makes the events in 2021 different from any events held before.
PERSONAL REVIEW OF THE ARTICLE
I have found this article very interesting and insightful regarding how it compares the event planning and production in 2021 with that in previous years. No doubt, the pandemic has posed a great challenge for all event planners and organizations to formulate strategies that can be best utilized to gather people in well-designed and exciting places and entertainingly engage them. However, as we have seen, many companies shifted to online events successfully and have indeed marked great achievements. However, since in 2021, the COVID conditions have improved significantly, the companies will certainly move towards physical events. But as the writer mentioned, safety comes first, specific health and safety measures will remain implemented throughout the year. So, people will wear a mask, travel less, and gather in small numbers at highly clean places. However, one significant addition that will be observed in these new events is the use of new technologies because to engage the maximum audiences, event planners will invite both remote and in-person attendees.
This has not been done as an integral component of the event planning ever before. I believe this will be the next breakthrough in our technological advancements and participation considering the existing impact of online meetings and seminars resulted from COVID-19. However, in order to make such events effective and productive, the event planners need to understand these changing circumstances very carefully to make informed discussions about resource allocation and utilization of different technologies. The article also provides an insight that with increasing competition in the hospitality market, one needs to have knowledge of the contemporary trends in event planning to stand out among the crowd.
REFERENCES
Dalton, M. (2021, January 7). An Insider’s View of 2021: Event Design and Production. MeetingsNet. https://www.meetingsnet.com/event-design-ideas/insider-s-view-2021-event-design-and-production
