Will Technologies Like Video Streaming Kill Face-to-Face Events?
I was attending a LinkedIn group networking event and explaining to someone I met about what an integrated engagement marketing agency is and about some of our work in events.
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She asked if the event marketing industry had seen a decline in traditional face-to-face events due to the availability of virtual event platforms, video streaming and other online technologies. I smiled. I then explained how I believe the "real" world of face-to-face events and the online world are in fact benefitting each other.
Social media as a technology is one thing, but let’s face it: people are social animals. They like to connect and engage. As a species, for the vast majority of our time on the planet our sole form of communication was face-to-face. Sure, eventually the telephone was invented, but, despite prognostications I’m sure, it didn't mean we stopped talking to each other in person. In fact, it facilitated vastly more connections than ever possible before.
It’s also interesting that online engagement is both designed and measured using everything we’ve learned from face-to-face events.
Today, with rapidly advancing technology, I'm excited by how this kind of synergy is happening more than ever. Look at Facebook's big announcements last fall. They streamed live (as you’d expect them to, of course, they are Facebook!) a very high-end presentation by Mark Zuckerberg (introduced by Saturday Night Live’s Andy Samberg!) about the new features that would be rolling out on Facebook (Timeline, new social apps, etc). But keep in mind the presentation was live-streamed from Facebook f8. Yes, Facebook holds a robust and lively face-to-face conference. Even the developers who facilitate our online social interactions need to get together in person!
Technology is enhancing the face-to-face event and actually extending it, not only to more people but also over time. Consider the inauguration of President Obama in 2008 in Washington, D.C. Not only did approximately 1.8 million people jam the national mall to witness it in person, CNN and Facebook partnered to live stream the event with astonishing numbers and effect. Live events that are webcast are commonly archived for a period of time.
Speaking of the President, he and other politicians hold numerous face-to-face events throughout the year. President Obama just recently held a Google Hangout with 5 ordinary citizens chosen from 130,000 that submitted questions they’d like to ask (a neighbor of mine was one of the lucky 5!) Google Hangouts aren’t forecast to replace conferences or tradeshows, but they are a useful tool for event professionals.
Finally, the biggest event in music is really embracing not only social media, but is also going mobile and digital this year. The live Grammy event is as big as ever, but the new technologies are extending the reach and the impact.
Technology isn’t squelching live events, it’s making them stronger than ever!
Interested in other trends in event marketing for this year? Download the 2012 Event Marketing Trend Report.