Hindsight in 2020: Finding Value in Virtual Events

Hindsight is 20/20.

I’ve used this phrase countless times, but never has it struck me as more apropos than it has this year. It even has 2020 in it. (Talk about ironic.)

Indeed, as the year closes, hindsight is certainly top of mind. For me, for BlueHive and for our clients, hindsight has shown us the necessity of in-person gatherings to foster business relationships and drive sales. From an attendee-standpoint, you’re likely recognizing the value of traveling to an event to network and socialize with like-minded professionals and learn about the latest aesthetics technology. Attending in-person events keeps us focused, as we are literally removed from our work places, and provides opportunities to earn continuing medical education (CME) credits. In fact CME credits seem a top reason for physicians to attend a conference.

And now, reality is sinking in: life will never be the same as it was pre-COVID-19, and we are still a long way off from gathering in-person in such large groups. Shows have started to be hosted physically, but most events have moved to virtual or a hybrid mix. According to a third-quarter report from EXHIBITOR, events that have taken place in-person are, “the exception to the rule of cancellations, postponements, and transitions to virtual/online/digital alternatives.”¹ The report from a survey conducted in late August/early September among more than 1,000 vendors, suppliers and corporate exhibit and event managers, marketing managers/directors, sales managers, and executives responsible for their organizations’ event programs (the third research initiative of EXHIBITOR in determining the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on the events industry), reveals that as of September, 59 percent of companies surveyed have implemented virtual events, up from 46 percent in June, and 54 percent of companies have participated in virtual trade shows (or plan to), compared to 36 percent reported in June.¹

Moreover, virtual events will still be predominant, even when major shows make their physical comeback, as a result of travel restrictions imposed at state levels, as well as by companies. The research found that company-wide travel restrictions were imposed on 90 percent of respondents’ organizations in May, that these restrictions decreased to 79 percent in June, but as of September had increased to 85 percent, implying a possible reinstatement of travel bans as of late.¹ Additionally, some travel restrictions have end dates, while others carry on indefinitely. According to the survey, only four percent of travel mandates will expire with the end of 2020; 36 percent have no defined end-date, and 44 percent of company-wide restrictions extend somewhere into 2021.¹

Furthermore, we’ve found from our client discussions that the associations behind these events are often giving 60-90 days’ notice for “going virtual” as they attempt to maintain their original plans and all the in-person benefits of their events, including CME credit hours. While this is valiant, especially for the cohort that gets the most out of these events—the attendees—it has created difficulties in some cases for both association and exhibitor organizations to execute a seamless transition to virtual and offer those same networking and educational opportunities. Virtual event attendees are left to their tech-savviness to figure out how to participate in the replaced experiences.

It’s no wonder virtual show attendance has been described by our clients as lackluster. (With a full-service marketing team backing our virtual event spaces, we develop strategies for overcoming that…but that’s a story for a different day.)

There is, however, a missing component in all this bleakness, and it comes from hindsight. Over the last six months since virtual events have been adopted, we’re recognizing common denominators and reflecting on experiences. Our insight: You can gain that value of networking and learning from a conference hosted in the virtual space, if you know what to look for.

Top Five Ways to Get the Most from Attending a Virtual Event

There are myriad ways to take advantage of virtual event offerings and maximize your time spent on the virtual floor (AKA a website). However, I’m going to list the top five strategies that, from our experiences designing and developing virtual event spaces, surface most often in client feedback. Chris Dunn, Senior Account Executive at BlueHive Exhibits, who often works with brands in the aesthetics industry, confirmed that these strategies are especially important for busy physicians.

BlueHive’s client roster spans industries from technology to pharmaceutical, medical device to health care, to manufacturing and retail. Throughout our conversations with organizations about virtual event experiences, five themes continue to come up around attending: committing the time, strategically selecting events to attend, participating in all networking, engaging company representatives, and having an “all-in” mindset.

1. Commit Your Time to the Event.

Think about the last in-person conference you attended. Your time and attention were devoted to the event because there was no other choice. You traveled from your work place, cleared your schedule, and were unavailable to take on any tasks.

Virtual events are easy to attend because they require no travel and only time for the event itself, but that also makes them easy to leave. Even if you have been able to go into your office, and have not been working from home, the distractions and interruptions of day-to-day work life make it difficult to stay focused and committed when participating in a virtual event. How many of us have been guilty of “attending” an online event or presentation with our devices on mute because, really, we’re working on something else at the time? Or, taking the virtual event with us via smartphone? (Let’s face it: those small screens are not conducive to these event experiences.)

It’s important to treat a virtual conference the same as you would an in-person event. Block off your schedule and keep your phone muted and out of sight. If you’re home, stay away from main living spaces and instead find a quiet area (like a study or home office, maybe your basement, if you have to). If you’re at work, keep your door closed with a “no interruptions” sign posted. If you don’t have designated private space, find a quiet, out-of-the-way spot. And, use your desktop or laptop for optimal viewing as well as web functionality—don’t “go mobile” to “go virtual.”

Like everything in life, you get out what you put in. You won’t get much from a virtual event if you don’t dedicate the time and your attention.

2. Be Strategic in Attending Virtual Events.

Now, think about why you attend conferences. Sure, there’s the ancillary wants for experiencing new places, social activities, and guaranteed time to “let loose.” But, it’s also likely you attended a specific event because it offered CME credit hours you needed.

CME opportunities are still available through virtual events; they just may not be as widely available or may not be offered at the conferences you typically attend. For instance, the virtual Aesthetic Extender Symposium (AES) held August 7-9 offered “over 46 educational sessions and the ability to earn up to 30 hours of CME/CE credit.”² In September, Vegas Cosmetic Surgery (VCS) boasted access to 21 CME credits,³ and The Aesthetic Show (TAS), scheduled virtually for November 20-22, highlighted 14 CME credits available.⁴

However, for some associations, offering CMEs in their virtual event was not possible due to accreditation requirements. While not a show pertinent to the aesthetics industry, the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) could only offer some of its typical CME opportunities. In a statement as part of a blog on the show’s association website, pcma.org, Lisa Astorga, CMP, DES, Director of Meetings at ISTH, reported that in the case of the July 12-14 conference, they were only able to offer CME credits for actual sessions held during the live dates of the event. Ms. Astorga indicated this was a result of the strictness of the accreditation requirements and the amount of prep work required by show organizers. “Earning CMEs through on-demand sessions requires attendees to take pre- and post-session tests. All of that would have to be developed, and we just didn’t have the time or the resources to do that in order to have a virtual meeting.”⁵

This means you’ll need to do research, looking into the details of the educational content offered by associations, before registering. Start by making a list of the events you typically attend and check their websites regularly to see what CME credits they will have (even with 60-90 days’ notice of an event going virtual, you’ll still have time to plan your schedule accordingly). Next, create a list of the companies you’re interested in learning more from at these events (from memory or the exhibitors’ list on the conference website). If a company offers a regular enewsletter, sign up for it, as chances are, they will be promoting their specific content for the virtual conference (this is what we coach our clients to do). This is a great way to find out about CME sessions (i.e., if the company is hosting one or promoting itself as a sponsor) or other learning opportunities that might be of interest to you. (You can always unsubscribe later if the content is no longer relevant; but you didn’t hear it from me!)

Just like with in-person events, being strategic will help you to maximize your experience and efficiently meet your CME goals.

3. Participate in Every Networking Opportunity.

Today’s technology has made it easy for associations to offer networking and ways to socialize at their virtual event. The AES, VCS, and TAS events all boasted numerous engagements on their show websites for attendees to talk amongst themselves, from live chats and scheduled virtual meetings, to dedicated networking areas. Most intriguing was the integration of an algorithm-based technology that matches attendees during scheduled networking based on similar interests and goals.^2,3,4

And, networking opportunities are appearing in various ways by exhibitors. “We start and end the day with networking sessions in [video conferencing tool] Whereby—the attendee has to knock to enter the room and we require them to share their full name and turn on their camera. We limit each room to 12 people,” says Stephanie Hawkins, Operations Manager of CEM and member of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events Young Professionals Committee (IAEE YP) Committee.⁶ Kyle MacMillan of CEM and member of the IAEE YP Committee reported that Tinder-type programs for attendees were utilized.⁶

Some exhibiting companies are leveraging their own virtual event space outside the virtual conference site, to offer their own areas for networking. BlueHive has been helping our clients to design and develop these custom virtual event spaces, and because associations allow exhibitors to share a link to a website of their choosing, these spaces follow the rules and regulations of the virtual conference. In these virtual exhibits, we’ve integrated small group (eight or fewer people) video meeting rooms, as well as live chats, one-to-one video meetings, and expanded meeting spaces for larger group discussions. One such client, Apollo Enterprise Imaging, a clinical data management platform provider, directed SIIM 2020 virtual attendees from their association booth into the virtual event space we developed for them, offering the small group video meeting room platform for networking opportunities between visitors of their virtual space.

Beyond socializing and learning about products, networking with like-minded professionals at every afforded chance offers a timely advantage: insightful collaboration during an unprecedented time of business challenges. You can use this time to talk and share with other physicians about what measures have been taken at your practice or theirs to overcome the challenges posed by the post-COVID-19 world (i.e., safety measures, appointment scheduling, new patient processes, etc.).

Some of the best conversations at in-person events happen organically; these same experiences can happen in a virtual setting, and you may meet more people and from farther across the globe than you would at an in-person event.

“CEIR has learned that for some virtual event organizers registration has brought in a larger, international audience compared to what would be generated by the physical event,” says Nancy Drapeau, PRC, VP of Research at Center for Exhibition Industry Research.⁷

The bottom line: Take advantage of every opportunity to expand your network. Just because events have gone virtual doesn’t mean they are no longer social.

4. Engage Exhibitor Representatives.

At in-person events, it may have been difficult to have a one-on-one conversation with a sales representative, because of the sheer crowd size. Or, perhaps you didn’t feel like “being social” when an opportunity to chat presented itself, or you were caught up in the activities and goings-on of the floor and didn’t have time to talk to the reps you hoped to connect with.

From the association-provided analytics shared with us by our clients, it seems there have been fewer registrants and attendees of virtual shows than of physical events, overall. This is a benefit for attendees, as it means there are fewer audience members vying for attention from exhibitors. Moreover, exhibitor staff have dedicated their time to be available for virtual pop-ins or meeting requests; you will certainly have their attention, perhaps more so than at an in-person event, because they are also eager to engage more and have fewer distractions.

For example, Chris Dunn’s client, Sofwave, a provider of non-invasive, effective wrinkle treatment using Ultrasound Beam technology, has been directing visitors of their various virtual association booths to the virtual event space we developed for them, to encourage attendee participation in their own communication opportunities. These included live chat areas and scheduled, 10-minute one-on-one video meetings with Sofwave physician specialists as well as Sofwave’s VP of Sales and CEO.

Of these experiences, Kim Bello, Community Manager of Sofwave, shares that, “the conversations for both our reps and the inquiring physicians have been exceptional. Credibility is essential in this industry, and for our visitors, they get to speak directly with a reputable physician who knows our product and has experienced its capabilities first-hand, and that makes all the difference in the technology they choose to purchase for their practice. Conversing this way has given us a 90 percent chance of closing, and our buyer isn’t pushed; they want to purchase our technology after hearing from our team.”

If you’re not engaging with the exhibitor staff and taking advantage of live video or chat opportunities, you’ve wasted your money—you could have reviewed much of the same content from the company’s website. (Remember, the point of any event is to connect with people; not just to consume content.)

5. Go ‘All In’ and Attend the Entire Event.

If you’re going to attend a virtual event, don’t skip out on it.

Just because attending a virtual event is a more laid-back experience than an in-person one, it doesn’t mean you should be laid back in how you represent yourself and your practice. You should still dress professionally (I don’t recommend the “dress for the waist up” route) and set yourself up with a neat and organized background for when your camera’s on.

When you attended physical events, you likely also participated in some of the entertaining activities, like the cocktail hour or yoga class, as another means to network and glean value. When attending a virtual event, go “all in” and actively participate in all the fun virtual activities offered, like a virtual dance party or cooking class (there might even be some fun swag attached, sent out to you pre-event). While it may seem awkward or weird to participate (who wants to dance by themselves in their living room or office?), there’s a whole group of people who will be experiencing this with you, normalizing the activity and making it enjoyable.

Hawkins reported of her CEM events that, “we have live music every night and it has been really popular. We also have a relaxation feed that connects to the Monterey Bay Aquarium” for attendees to take a break.⁶

Across my conversations with virtual event vendors, exhibitors, and attendees, I’ve heard of celebrity cameo appearances, “behind the song” musician stories, karaoke, cooking classes with A-list chefs, and even wine and coffee tastings. No matter the activity, you will enjoy yourself more than you think and likely will foster new connections along the way.

Virtual Events are Not Going Away, and That’s Okay

Even when major conferences return to physical locations and places open to full capacity, virtual events are going to be around for a while as a hybrid extension. According to EXHIBITOR, 77 percent of exhibit managers expect to see more virtual/hybrid events as a result of the pandemic. Moreover, “when asked for their projections on when the trade show and events industry will return to ‘normal,’ just one percent selected dates in 2020, while 73 percent anticipate the industry will rebound sometime in 2021 (the majority of which pinpointed the second or third quarter of next year). Meanwhile, 21 percent don’t expect any sense of normalcy until 2022, and five percent of vendors/suppliers don’t foresee the industry ever returning to what was considered normal prior to the pandemic.”¹

But now, with hindsight, you shouldn’t be worried. Remember these tips, and you might be surprised of the value you get out of virtual events!

Any opinions expressed are solely those of the author and may not coincide with the views or opinions of BlueHive Group.

1. EXHIBITOR Media Group. EXHIBITOR Insight Report: COVID-19’S Impact On The Trade Show Industry. EXHIBITOR Media Group; 2020:2, 3, 6, 11, 16. https://www.exhibitoronline.com/topics/insight/EXHIBITORInsightReport3-COVIDImpact.pdf.

2. Aesthetic Extender Symposium. Aestheticextendersymposium.com. https://www.aestheticextendersymposium.com/index.php. Published 2020. Accessed September 21, 2020.

3. Vegas Cosmetic Surgery. Vegascosmeticsurgery.info. https://www.vegascosmeticsurgery.info/en/home.html. Published 2020. Accessed September 21, 2020.

4. The Aesthetic Show. Aestheticshow.com. https://www.aestheticshow.com/en/home.html. Published 2020. Accessed September 21, 2020.

5. Gale C. CMEs at Virtual Events: A Live Versus on-Demand Challenge. 2020. https://www.pcma.org/cmes-virtual-events/. Accessed September 21, 2020.

6. Editorial Staff. Tips on Transitioning to Virtual: Young Professionals Edition. 2020. https://ceirblog.wordpress.com/2020/08/16/tips-on-transitioning-to-virtual-young-professionals-edition/. Accessed September 21, 2020.

7. Editorial Staff. Considerations for Riding the COVID-19 Wave and Avoiding a Wipe Out. 2020. https://ceirblog.wordpress.com/2020/08/30/considerations-for-riding-the-covid-19-wave-and-avoiding-a-wipe-out/. Accessed September 21, 2020.