The lights go down, a hush descends on the auditorium and U2’s “It’s A Beautiful Day” starts blasting through the speakers. All eyes in the room turn to the front, as a lone figure takes to the stage and walks towards the spotlight. The anticipation in the room is palpable, the energy is high, the sense of potential is contagious. And then …
One of two things happens.
- You hook the audience quickly, with a message that’s carefully crafted to inspire, educate and engage them. You try to meet them where they are at, so you can move forwards together or…
- You talk at them. Regurgitate content that’s been written by someone else. Flick through endless slides. Make cringe-worthy jokes. Try to appear spontaneous, while reading from an auto-cue.
As F2F events make a welcome return to many people’s lives in the coming weeks and months, I’m fascinated to see what will have changed and what will remain the same?
Which businesses will stick with the old world and which will embrace the new? What do I mean by Old World vs New World?
Old World vs New World:
- In Person Event vs Hybrid Event (Live + Virtual)
- Talking Head Event vs Nightly News Production Values
- Single Location Audience vs Satellite Locations (Infinite Audience)
- One off events vs Pre & Post event engagement across multiple platforms
I believe that all bets are off when it comes to creating memorable events nowadays … it’s no longer about the biggest pyrotechnics budget or the most expansive space.
We can borrow ideas from the theatre, TV shows and other genres of performance, creating memorable and meaningful events, drawing in different audiences from around the country and around the world. We’re only constrained by our imagination and our willingness to innovate.
The old rule book has been ripped up and thrown away. I for one am excited to see what the new rule book will hold!
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