Do you feel like a CD?
6 comments so far
If you are a traditional event manager (or studying to become one) and think that recession is the major threat for your career, I think you are not on the right track.
There are several trends in event management that are making the role as we know it obsolete. I am convinced that we are trying to sell CDs during the hype of the MP3 era.
Of course this could be arguable. Events will always take plae and there will always be someone in charge of management. But the skills required are completely new.
Here are few of the trends who represent a threat for the traditional event manager:
- User generated Events
BarCamps, unconferences and Meetups have given the power to the user. Scientific committees or sponsor panels can no longer control content. In the future if you’ll ask to pay 400$ for a one day conference, you’ll be probably laughed at and find yourself in a budget drama.
- Technology
Technological changes are making several professions redundant. Webinars, online conferences, Second Life meetings and events to name a few require new management skills. Just have a look at the video below and draw your conclusions.
- Environment
The environment is claiming back what has been abused. We need to learn fast how to make our events sustainable, source local products, reduce waste and communicate that to our attendees. Consumers are getting extremely educated about what being green means and that will soon be a given, not an extra.
All of the above could be seen as threats.
In these trends I see he future of our profession. We need to start to integrate them in our practice immediately, to grow our set of skills.
What we see in front of us is just a matter of perspective. My view is positive and enthusiastic, what about yours?
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Thanks for your great post. I think we are facing a lot of changes but that we will come out OK on the other side if we are willing to adapt and learn, which shouldn’t be hard for people who are more than accustomed to adapting on the fly!
Live conferences have significant environmental impacts and even organizations seeking to green events (like the Green Meetings Industry Council) define green events as those that reduce their negative environmental impacts.
In pursuit of responsible planning, I think we should always stop and consider whether an event, to be effective, must be live. Many times, the answer will be yes. We have yet to see the power of face-to-face interactions usurped by technology. But sometimes the answer will be no–and when it is, I suggest we use technology to generate a more sustainable conference.
Hi AlliG
you made a great comment and give a great contribution.
I think in a while sustainability will be seen as effectiveness.
Thanks again
Julius
Don’t Wait Until Your Back Is Against the Wall to Implement Sustainable Practices…
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[...] of what an event is and what it should be, you can expect to go the way of the gas guzzler (or the way of the CD, if you prefer this author’s analogy), losing your value every time one more attendee decides that green events are a priority when [...]
Hi Julius,
Whilst I agree with you to a certain extent, don’t forget that many people saw the ‘end’ of our industry when web conferencing and conference calling first started being used - but neither of these have overtaken the ‘live’ event environment - nothing is more powerful than seeing the whites of someone’s eyes to get a message across!
[...] of all, let me clarify that I am a fan of MeetUp. I’ve talked in the past about traditional event management as a thing of the past. I am a true supporter of user generated events, I think they help in skimming the market from [...]