Conferences, exhibitions and other industry events are big business – but sadly they have been decimated by the ongoing coronavirus crisis. The tech sector, which boasts some of the biggest and most global events, may be as badly hit as any, but it at least has the means to offer solutions in the form of video conferencing and collaboration.
The demise of the traditional industry event at the hands of video has been predicted for decades, but the lure of virtual alternatives has never quite taken off. The reason for this is thought to be because bringing people together in the same place has measurable benefits that you simply can’t replicate through technology. With today’s situation, the jury is most definitely out on that.
Make no mistake, COVID-19 is a horrible scourge on human life, society and trade. But in this corner of innovation, it at least provides a unique opportunity to see, once and for all, whether video can step in to facilitate viable alternatives to physical events.
Presentations and panel discussions are better with video
Not to diminish the value of physical conferences when they’re in such difficulties, but the reality for most people attending such events often boils down to travelling a long distance, staying several nights at a relatively expensive hotel, and sitting in a large meeting room watching keynote speakers deliver PowerPoint presentations from a stage. If this is the core component of a physical event – the aspect that attendees deem value for money for conference passes often costing more than £1,000 – then facilitating the same format via a video conference represents a far more compelling model.
Amid this coronavirus outbreak, people from all walks of life are innovating how they emulate a physical experience using video conferencing platforms. If school teachers can lead interactive classes, orchestras and choirs can hold virtual concerts, and families can get together for birthdays and anniversaries – allowing people to watch someone talk through their presentation (from anywhere, on any mobile device) is the easiest thing in the world.
And that’s the key point here: don’t stop at “same”. Something so straightforward can be significantly enhanced through a data-rich, video-driven experience. For example, these physical sessions are currently one-way: presenter to audience. Video makes that two-way. Other improvements could be to facilitate Q&A and polling in a more democratic and transparent way, or dynamically creating panel discussions among the assorted expertise in the audience.
Expo booths exist to spark conversations – which video can convert
Another dimension to the archetypal industry event is the exhibition, or trade show. Organisers assemble a critical mass of the right, specific decision makers in the same place, which makes a captive audience for promoting closer interaction. That’s all an expo booth is; the graphics, live demonstrations and general razzmatazz are all trying to funnel potential customers into a conversation i.e. a meeting.
With physical events potentially switching to a virtual format, video has a major part to play in the commercial interactions that commonly take place on expo booths. And with worldwide travel bans potentially in force for the next few months or more, it’s not going to seem out of the ordinary for video to be the best substitute for negotiating and agreeing in person. You can even screenshare the contract you want them to sign! In fact, being compelled to use video for business meetings (because there is no better option presently) is proving a very satisfactory experience; not least because it can be conducted from any location, rather than an arbitrary meeting point that takes significant time and expense to reach.
Unscheduled face-to-face networking is harder to emulate with video, but not impossible
As we’ve established, going to a physical event gives you defined content to consume and a bunch of meetings to attend – both of which can be happily swapped out like-for-like with an easier and more efficient video-based experience. The sticky part is the unplanned and intangible aspect of ‘bumping into’ people and making contacts in unpredictable ways. It is far less straightforward to use video to emulate the interactions sparked by chance in the coffee queue at the convention centre, or sitting at the hotel bar. And let’s face it, these can often be the most valuable.
There are some exciting developments in this area, with several new, well-funded firms like Hopin and Run The World coming to market that claim to dig out this hard-to-reach value so that physical industry events can finally go virtual. Peel back the layers of their very clever software and you’ll find video at the heart of these propositions. For instance, Run The World’s popular features include the ability to browse attendee lists and reach out, hold ‘fireside chats’ where other guests can chime in, and even hold virtual cocktail parties for attendees to ‘socialise’.
Video conferencing is coming of age. It offers vital benefits, enhancing internal and external communications while increasing efficiencies and productivity. With recent developments in mobile devices and wireless networks, video conferencing technology is moving on from its restricted room-based use to full handheld accessibility at any time, from anywhere.
Who knows, virtual conferences could be a temporary measure, but even then video collaboration will have proved yet more of its worth, bringing people together and helping keep the economy moving. This, no doubt, simplifies the way we work and empowers our mobility in the most cost-effective way possible.
Guest Blog by Todd Carothers, Chief Revenue Officer, CounterPath
As chief revenue officer, Todd Carothers is responsible for CounterPath’s sales, marketing and product management organisations. He leads the team that develops the revenue streams for the company from definition to delivery. Carothers works with the team to manage the product, go-to-market and selling strategies of the company’s industry-leading Bria desktop and mobile softphones and Stretto server product lines. During Carothers’ tenure at CounterPath, he has brought to market several essential new products and hosted offerings. These products have created new revenue streams for the company, including the Bria mobile, tablet applications, and Stretto platform and modules. Todd brings over 25 years of experience in sales, marketing, product management, and business development to CounterPath, driving success with some of the largest enterprise, operator and channel partner customers including Alcatel-Lucent, AT&T, Avaya, Bell, Black & Decker, BroadSoft (now Cisco), British Telecom, GENBAND (now Ribbon Communications), Orange, KDDI, Liberty Global, Metaswitch Networks, NEC, Prudential, Rogers, Telefonica, Toys R Us and Vodafone. Before joining CounterPath, Todd served as VP, Marketing and Business Development at BridgePort Networks (acquired by CounterPath in 2008). Todd holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from California State University, Chico with a minor in computer technology.
