In-person events are gradually coming back after COVID-19 largely put them on hold. If you’ve got some on your summer agenda or are thinking about buying tickets soon, here are some actionable strategies to get ready to attend them as an exhibitor or attendee.
Be Patient When Getting Back Into Networking
The pandemic didn’t halt networking entirely. Still, it’s a wholly different experience getting to know someone in a Zoom breakout room versus in-person over a cup of coffee. Transitioning back to face-to-face networking isn’t always smooth, even for people who are highly experienced in interpersonal relations.
Lisa Lopez is a professor of educational psychology at the University of South Florida. She recently spoke at an in-person conference and commented, “It felt invigorating and exciting to be in person.” However, she reflected on her face-to-face conversations with peers, saying, “We were joking about how we had to relearn our social skills. We’re all developmental psychologists who study social and academic development, and we had to retrain ourselves on social development.”
Think about what you could do to let yourself ease back into the social interactions such events require. Whether you’re an exhibitor or attendee, consider scheduling some lower-stakes gatherings first to get your confidence up and eliminate preventable pressure.
Alternatively, go to some of the less-formal offerings at trade shows before exposing yourself to the ones where you really want to be in your best form. For example, add a casual breakfast to your schedule before putting yourself out there at a speed networking event.
The pandemic changed people in ways they haven’t fully grasped yet. If some of the early interactions at in-person events don’t happen as smoothly as you’d hoped, remember that the individuals on the other end of those conversations are probably dealing with similar struggles.
Plan for Hybrid Events
COVID-19 proved having online content offers perks in-person events can’t. For starters, offering material online breaks down geographic barriers. Even the most motivated individuals can’t always come to physical events, especially if doing so requires significant travel time or visa applications.
Having at least some of the event’s programming online eliminates those potential issues. As you think about what your return to physical events looks like, realize it might not mean eliminating online content.
Shawn Shapiro, an event planner at Redstone Agency, said, “2022 will be about quality over quantity with content and other factors in the event process. I think you will see a large shift towards hybrid events, especially in the first and second quarter, with an increase of in-person events as the year progresses. As in-person does return, I do think we will see a virtual piece stay for many events, which will help to connect to larger audiences and make for a more immersive and global experience moving forward.”
Diana Canellis, head of sponsorships at Techsytalk, felt similarly, saying, “Hybrid or bust! Smaller in-person regional events with virtual capacities will thrive – similar to events after 9/11, where regional events became more popular.”
She continued, “I think people will continue to enjoy working from home but will be interested in smaller networking events (with proof of vaccination or COVID-free tested attendees) closer to home. And for event professionals, this will help with risk (budgeting) instead of larger in-person events and potential no-shows – even though it will mean more work!”
Go With an Attractive and Welcoming Booth Design
Even though so much has changed since in-person events were last running at their usual frequency and capacity, some things have remained the same. It’s still vital to use branding elements, such as hashtags and logos, to draw attention to your company. You may even want to do something more that helps your booth stand out from others, such as installing a floral arch that catches attention and features your brand colors.
Now, in a time when people are easing back to in-person events, it’s equally important to make them feel comfortable at your booth. One possibility is to see what you can do to manage traffic flow so the booth doesn’t get too crowded.
Making hand sanitizer available is another straightforward way to increase comfort. Also, even if the event does not require masks, consider having one to put on in case a person you’re conversing with prefers it.
Some people may not want to go back to shaking hands yet, either. Give them a welcoming smile as they approach your booth, then leave it up to them to decide whether they extend a hand or make another move to show friendliness.
You’ll need to be as flexible as possible in accommodating booth visitors where they are. Some people may gradually become more at ease as the event progresses, but others may be relatively careful the whole time.
Show Sensitivity to Risk Tolerance Variations When Making Company Decisions
In-person events typically offer attendees a broad assortment of possibilities. You might go to a talk about how 3D printing is transforming the electronics industry before heading to a fabrication robot demonstration. However, not everyone is ready to dive back into everything an event offers.
As Mahmood Noman, people director of Bradfield College, pointed out, “Many of my colleagues and their families have suffered through the pandemic, and a return to in-person events will cause great anxiety.” You can’t know everything that factors into how people feel about returning to physical events. Someone who has already had COVID-19 twice and was only mildly sick each time might feel they’re ready to do everything they did before the pandemic and perhaps more.
However, immunocompromised people or those with chronically ill family members at home may be more careful about what they do. It’s also highly likely that individuals who have been personally and severely affected by the virus may feel more hesitant about in-person events than those who had less-intimate impacts.
Proceed individually when doing things like deciding which staff members will work at trade show booths instead of assuming they’re okay with that role. Although you need an on-site presence, don’t push people into doing things before they feel comfortable. Such situations could make them outwardly nervous and not the best representation of your company.
Are You Ready for In-Person Events?
Attendees will return to in-person events at their own pace. That may mean things aren’t immediately back to what you’re used to, but being responsive to that reality as an attendee or exhibitor will help you have a productive experience no matter what.
