Building bridges

The other week I had a short conversation with a fellow cyclist. As we were parking our bikes at one of the Amsterdam RAI  parking areas, we were both looking at the big sign of one of the events: “Unleash your people”, it read. Intriguing! 

I asked if he was going to the event but he answered “No, all the stands will be showing things that I can look up on the internet anyway, so there will be no extra value for me there.”

As I am just in the middle of writing my trends report, this came as a blast from the past. Surely any 2014 event will be more than a selection of websites…. So I suggested there could be a conference attached, with best practice sessions scheduled, peer-to-peer networking areas, opportunities to share ideas and news with exhibitors, industry leaders, attendees…and so on.

The next morning we met again, same routine. The event was still on. But this time the fellow cyclist had been looking at the event website…and had realized that Yes, there was a lot going on in terms of interaction, conversation, learning, sharing and meeting new people…He planned on attending after all.

Isn't  that strange? 

As an event industry we look at every detail to ensure the best face to face interactive experience possible. Yet we cannot shake the image of trade fairs and conferences as grey, uninspired and old fashioned. Especially when it comes to younger generations.

So how can we deal with this? 

Show and tell!  Building bridges between perception and reality. 

We need to address the value of the face to face experience! The event I mentioned above is doing things right – social media, interaction, quotes….

I think we need even more conversations, pictures, recordings, vlogs, blogs, champions, discussions -  and interact before, during and after the face to face event. Interaction in communities and with individuals. We can even meet online –  by interacting we can change the image. 

After all, we know that a face to face interaction generates great ROI – right? 

It is about engaging all senses, serendipity, personal relationships,  the effect of the true handshake…it’s something we need to talk about J. 

And let's face it; without the main event, no online spin offs.

(the used image is not from the mentioned event, it's from a great conference earlier - building bridges in it's field of expertise)