This post is part of the HopSkip Planner Spotlight Series where HopSkip spotlight's planners across the industry to bring awareness of how they adapted to COVID-19, communicating and lessons learned and sharing how they are viewing the meetings and events industry in a post-pandemic world.
Name: Bettyanne Sherrer
Company Name: CanPlan Event & Conference Services
Job Title: VP & Managing Partner
Years of Experience: 30+
How do you think you are positioned, after months of persevering with the pandemic, to take advantage of our new and disrupted meetings/events landscape?
As an entrepreneur, I am used to moving quickly to respond to changing trends and market conditions. Or at least I thought I was... This one tested all of us! I was a solo-preneur for most of my career and made the move to join the team at CanPlan last year which has allowed for tremendous growth. We are seeing a lot of new teams and alliances being formed as the work we do becomes more complicated and specialized. For me, working with a team of deeply skilled and experienced planners has truly positioned us ready for what's next.
As our community moves forward with planning in-person meetings, what new technologies or processes are you implementing that you may have not looked at before?
In-person events are seeking to add value to the registration investment through content capture and post-event consumption. While this isn't new, digital isn't going anywhere and our audiences have become much more sophisticated. A wide-shot from the back of the room isn't going to cut it. Hybrid design is going to continue to evolve to support community building and engagement beyond the live event. So as we all embrace the return to in-person, the need to continue our understanding of technology solutions is critical. Teams will include planners who are specializing in digital.
As we see virtual meetings transition back to face to face, hybrid meetings are beginning to be the vehicle to return to normalcy. What are your thoughts on hybrid meetings versus traditional fully in-person meetings?
Hybrid is going to take many forms. The reality of budgets and the talent needed will force a lot of innovation. I think that event design will include in-person and digital elements with content & experience engagement occurring in real-time, but also independently. The in-person event will be the premium experience, but it is no longer the only choice. Hybrid allows the opportunity to look at your event portfolio very differently and apply a great deal of creativity.
In your opinion, what do you think the biggest value for your attendees is in regards to returning to live events?
The hugs. We need each other and we have missed each other. The magic of events is watching people learn something new, change their minds, discover a new business partner, share a laugh. Virtual sustained many connections, and we got the work done, but it will never replace the benefits of face-to-face.
As the pandemic fades away and we return to face-to-face events what do you hope changes, either for planners or hoteliers, in the traditional RFP and proposal process as a result of all of the learnings from the last 20+ months?
I hope that all our clients have developed a new understanding of the importance of events not only for their own organizations ability to thrive, but for the economic impact of their communities. Our supply chain is a long one. I hope that we continue to ensure sustainable options are available and choices are made to protect our planet and we see this more in RFP requirements. I hope that new business and talent will emerge as event strategy, design and delivery continues to specialize.
This post is part of the HopSkip Planner Spotlight Series where HopSkip spotlight's planners across the industry to bring awareness of how they adapted to COVID-19, communicating and lessons learned and sharing how they are viewing the meetings and events industry in a post-pandemic world.
