Restarting M!CE differently
Post-COVID the M!CE industry has been forced to rethink and reimagine the way events are done
The last year presented every industry with a challenge to think out of the box with circumstances it presented, the M!CE industry was no different. Moving ahead on a rather optimistic note, the year 2021 is pointing industries to the light at the end of the tunnel showing hope of revival. Analysing current situations, the best quote that comes to mind is none other than Walt Disney's: “Get a good idea and stay with it. Dog it, and work at it until it's done right.” This is the current mantra for M!CE companies who are looking to survive come what may. As Sushil Shamlal Wadhwa, Founder and CMD, Platinum World Group, explains, “The M!CE landscape has changed quite drastically postCOVID. Corporates are very sensitive to any such global events, and have paused all M!CE-related activities, to avoid any risk. This means that these are probably the most challenging times we will see in our lifetime as far as pressure on our business is concerned. PreCOVID our industry was cruising at a high altitude. However, all this came to a halt with the economic slowdown in 2019. This was further impacted with the pandemic, which was a knock-out punch to the industry worldwide. Looking into the future, we are optimistic based on the global forecast, which states that the M!CE industry recovery will begin from 2022 & flourish from 2023. So, it is undoubtedly going to be ‘Survival of the Fittest'. With this in mind, our mantra for now is Survive, Revive and then Thrive when the time is right.”
The sentiments of uncertainty are not restricted to just a particular country but has had a global impact. Expressing his view from an international perspective, Vishal Bhatia, Country Manager – India, Visit Britain, says, “As the global response to
COVID-19 pandemic continues, the public's health and safety remains the UK Government's priority. At VisitBritain, we are continually planning for recovery. By necessity this needs to be flexible to respond as travel recovers in stages globally and as advisories and restrictions can be lifted. The UK is finding innovative ways to connect and do business, creatively reimagining the future of events and using virtual tours & technology solutions, further enhancing its impressive offering.”
Parul Thakur, Senior Area Director Sales and Distribution, South Asia, Marriott International, says, “M!CE events are still to return in their full glory of pre-COVID times. What we see today as post-COVID are still smaller formats. Events have become hybrid in the post-COVID era. As hotels we have pivoted our efforts in bringing technology to the forefront to meet the needs of the hybrid meetings we see today. Our distribution strength across the globe gives us the advantage to conduct hybrid events combined with small teams assembling together at one hotel venue for their celebrations and connections.”
POST-PANDEMIC SCENARIO
Changing times require a constant innovation in order to sustain. This is especially true for the M!CE industry which has had to adapt to new norms post the pandemic and make it a success. As GB Srithar, Regional Director (India, Middle East and South Asia), Singapore Tourism Board, explains, “COVID-19 has certainly pushed the fast-forward button and accelerated digital transformation and adoption across the world. The resumption of M!CE events in Singapore has been done in a careful and calibrated manner, with limits on the size and capacity of events to ensure safety of on-site participants and allow for wider interactions through virtual platforms. To do so, STB has established the Safe Business Events framework to guide the industry on how to implement Safe Management Measures to meet a set of health and safety outcomes.”
Thakur adds, “The biggest factor being considered today is the level of preparedness and readiness from the hotel to work with the current cleanliness and hygiene standards laid out. Hotels who have been able to instil confidence in the customers on their hygiene and sanitation protocols have seen repeat customers conducting their meetings and events.”
Physical events are now being christened into hybrid events in order to adhere to the new norms. Wadhwa explains, “Now, there are more virtual events and a combination of physical and digital which is being promoted as phygital or hybrid events. Here, the key presenters are live at a single location with their smaller focused audience group and the rest of the audience joins in through a video conferencing platform. Getting the audience right on virtual events is very important while also ensuring that the target audience logs in, is a challenge for many companies. Content creation is another important aspect. There is a lot of AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality) being used actively for such phygital/ hybrid events. It would be interesting to note that the role of event companies has now evolved into almost film production capabilities.”
On the international front, it has been no different as Bhatia asserts, “In the UK, a multitude of leading venues have reimagined their offering, giving planners access to advanced technology solutions to ensure their future events can achieve greater reach and engagement. Another factor is destination choice. Planners are willing to be more flexible when it comes to their criteria when selecting locations for their future events. Rural and coastal destinations are seeing increased demand to host some of the world's leading international conferences and events. For example, Cornwall will host the 2021 G7 Summit, in June, bringing together international leaders from across the world.”
DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY
With events going hybrid, companies now have a bigger challenge in terms of innovation. Prior to COVID-19, there was a lot of emphasis on the experiential factor. Has the emphasis changed? Wadhwa explains saying, “We have always been an experiential company focusing on ‘Experiences beyond the Extraordinary'. Many of our unique events have been
The resumption of M!CE events in Singapore has been done in a careful and calibrated manner
Rural & coastal destinations are seeing increased demand to host some of the leading global events