Events in the next normal

There I was considering if IRL events were over, when the “one last virtual invite” started to appear in my inbox. Are brands really calling time on the Zoom launch now that workspaces are opening up?

Yes, my Insta profile and I have missed the buzz of a physical beauty event – and a reason to get dressed up for it. But not quite enough to merit the time taken to visit locations an hour from my house (or the same from the office, in some cases) when I might return without the content I’d hoped for.

There are exceptions, of course. Certain things deserve multisensorial involvement and prove richly rewarding. Plus, I by no means want to continue living in an unending loop of video appointments.

But agile, hybrid working should encompass the event element of our jobs.

Surely the next normal means there’s space for virtual and physical events within the same strategy, with the latter being livestreamed, or recorded, for those WFH that day. From a journalist’s perspective it is more efficient, sustainable, and inclusive.

Last week, instead of an event to launch “an innovative” dry shampoo, a brand invited me to experience it during a skip-and-sweat workout with a world jump rope champion via on-demand video tutorials. I learnt something new; the product was happily tested; social content was shared – all in 30 minutes around my own schedule. These kinds of tailormade executions really hit the mark right now.

In our business, time is the ultimate luxury. It pays to be mindful of this when working together.