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Here’s a thing.
In the social housing sector we have a recent mantra around that whole digital thing. If I had £50 for every time I have sat through a demo telling me that I can do something digitally for pennies, that in the real world for shed loads of cash, I could perhaps retire right now. That’s for real too.
It comes with a caveat, that I always trot out, as you have to. That is, its only pence if you have that significant footfall, to make it work. Get the traction, its pence, fail and its cheaper to do it in the real world.
Now the last six months of Covid19 have been transformative. More I personally think, than the last 6 years. I really do. We have discovered we can pretty adequately (& actually excel in many cases), work from home, be more productive and get much more done, around all our home commitments too. We are welcoming not having to put up with all those physical things, like the early morning or evening commute, rushing through a ‘meal-deal’ lunch, or standing on a train for over an hour every day.
Not withstanding friends I know with a few mental health considerations (I understand), such a number of people I know, have embraced working digitally, I guess from here on would like more of it. So we are bought into all of this stuff now. As are residents, more than before. They want good service with less personal contact more now, than ever.
With everything all good, how would one undertake a re-run of the biggest celebration of the socialhousing sector, that usually occurs summer late June in Manchester (one of the greatest cities to hold such a reoccurring event, you would totally expect me to say…)? Digitally of course, which is how its going ahead.
Now, I’m not one of those people who may have taken a stand at Manchester Central, although I was back in 2010/11, when I was a supplier (on the mythical dark side). I remember grabbing a ‘last knockings’ stand for £1,500, plus £1,250 for electrics and lighting etc. I also remember that senior management conversation about “what will the return be on that”? For some exhibitions, that often created some debate. It resulted in a few exhibitions being turned down.
Anyway fast forward to September 2020, and the Housing 2020, the virtual festival, 7-11th Sep. https://cihhousing.com/virtual-festival
Considering the economies of undertaking this event in a digital way (as is the post-Covid19 fashion), as an optimist, I would expect this could be the biggest ever. We could make the best of the tech, double or more the attendance potentially.
Instead, I am dismayed speaking to many, would be attendees and exhibitors, who have said to me, “well we can’t really justify it”. Contacts have told me that they are being offered virtual pitches at £5k and above. How does that even make sense, unless some rampant profiteering is at work? Presumably Ocean Media had insurance, that paid out to cover the hire of Manchester Central. Maybe not. Those costs surely don’t need to be passed on to virtual attendees, 3 months later?
That has surely put a lot of suppliers off. While Ocean media think this may be ‘One year only’, I suspect realistically we may be some way off shaking Covid19 off. In the same way that ‘Pret’ are finding city/town centres are not the honeypots they once were, conferences may need to find a new normal. People already are exploring much more economic alternatives. I am a big fan of Ocean Media, I wouldn’t celebrate them becoming the new Kodak, but they like other conference organisers need to find their realistic new normal.
If conferences want to stay relevant and profitable, perhaps some rethink is necessary. We can have fantastic virtual conferences, with many more attendees than before, all contributing, also with a great mix of suppliers, that see their reasoning for being there too. With no costs for physical space, hotels, security, staff to organise, prawn sandwiches and buffet food etc, I am wrong in thinking that prices should be much lower for exhibiters and attendees too, in the virtual world, not higher?
I would be interested in hearing comments on these thoughts.
Related Post: Why are some implementers incentivised to fail?
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(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009
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