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: David Corson
Company Name: F&J Publications
Job Title: Publisher/Editor/Summit Director
Years of Experience: 28
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?
We were print face to face before pandemic and now are 100% digital and virtual with our events. We have a very loyal following that has been with us for many years and with many events transitioning back to in person, will be one of the few remaining in the virtual world which is why we are going hybrid in 2023. We had 28 million victors hit our magazine site in 2022 and averaged 2.3 million per month so am comfortable in the digital format.
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?
We are going to go hybrid in 2023. In case another pandemic shows up and travel is banned for attendees and exhibitors as well in case flights are cxl'd due to one reason or another that is out of our control, must be able to pivot immediately to stick with date on calendar.
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?
You cannot replace in person or face to face with virtual. But with gas prices keep going up along with hotel and other travel costs, see many events to be regional or local than national as firms will not be able to handle these budget increases. Being flexible with hybrid model believe will be crucial to survive in 2023 as the 2022 midterm elections that will be uncertain along with other truths that will be unveiled on multiple fronts to the public causing chaos that will ensue with major disruptions with the start of event season in 2023.
In your opinion, what do you think the biggest value for your attendees is in regards to returning to live events?
Seeing people in person and shaking hands. However, many of our attendees will have attended in person events in 2022 and feel this feeling of normalcy will wear off and they will pick and choose which events they will attend in 2023 and not all when country opened up in 2022. Many know that they do not have to go to shows and can meet on-line and then meet in person on construction sites, etc., in our sector.
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?
Must be win-win partnership with all parties involved with event. All contracts must have better clauses and hoteliers must be more flexible with rates, and how contracts are written so all involved are protected. If another pandemic causes another shut down, it cannot put event producers out of business due to contractual policy that hinder event producers to secure venues to hold their gigs.
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.