JAMES McCANN
Managing Director ClearStory International
We have seen amazing innovations from our clients – across all sectors – throughout the pandemic. Event technology firms pivoted to become healthtech providers, virtual conferencing providers and retail management systems. We also saw the emergence of a new generation of startups and innovation-led companies quickly emerge from simple concepts to become critical infrastructure, in tackling the pandemic.
From coughing detectors used to identify the outbreak of disease, to temperature wristband monitors, real-time blood testing from home kits and mental wellbeing apps, the level of innovation in the healthtech sector alone has been incredible.
With clients across the globe, we were already used to hosting meetings over Zoom and Hangouts. We started planning in early February and then turned fully remote the week before lockdown. It has worked incredibly well throughout the period, increasing productivity and providing insights into the future of work.
We reshaped how we brainstorm, host team meetings and presentations, but there is no substitute for face-to-face contact in some cases. From our perspective, remote working is the way of the future and we will likely practise a hybrid approach once the pandemic is over.
The events sector has been hit hard by the impact of Covid-19. All of our event clients had to pivot this year from physical to virtual events, with the majority normally attracting more than 15,000 attendees in their physical format. While delegates might attend for the networking and social element, journalists come for content.
There has been a surge in virtual events, but newsworthiness is often the biggest challenge as competition for media space becomes greater. We have worked with several large-scale virtual events this year, to focus on building their news appeal.
Our clients remain bullish on investing in reputation building and market awareness in 2021. Many are raising further funds for expansion, with public relations remaining a core component of their strategies.
‘Publicrelationsremainsacore componentof clientstrategies’
AM O’Sullivan PR and we’ve partnered with virtual event providers on behalf of a few clients. However, overall this has not been a growth area for us
OUTLOOK In 2020 we saw an investment by companies in internal communications and we expect to see that continuing in 2021.
‘Wehavewonnewclientsthat wehaveyettomeetinperson’