Chart of the week: More organisers return to live events despite Omicron

Organizers are returning to live shows at a quicker pace than before, a new survey reveals.

Findings from etc.venues show that 28% of organizers have planned live only events for 2022.  This is higher than 20% who said in July 2021 they plan to host only live shows this year.

The study also found that 70% of organisers are eager to meet their colleagues face-to-face more often this year.

Moreover, 46% said they value the more interactive and engaging nature of in-person meetings and another 42% considered them an effective way to build relationships.

What’s behind the figures?

The stats reflect an improving outlook among organisers towards in-person events despite the Omicron threat.

In fact, reports suggest the UK might have passed the peak of the new variant.

The seven-day average of Omicron cases in the UK has been declining since a week and dropped below the 14-day average on January 11 for the first time since November.

This has renewed optimism among organisers to host and participate in face-to-face meetups again.

What does it mean for organisers? 

The latest data suggests Omicron is following a similar pattern as in South Africa – a surge in cases followed by a rapid decrease.

This means organisers should continue to plan for in-person meetings and events in 2022.

Venues will have a key role in ensuring Covid health safety protocols are being followed. 

Digital will continue to be a crucial factor in helping organisers insure their events and increase monetisation opportunities. 

Learn how you can maximise your digital revenue growth with our Monetisation Blueprint. 

Organisers might also need to plan hybrid events that blend both physical and virtual formats.

This is especially required if a section of your target audience is not comfortable travelling to venues for health or other purposes.

If you still wonder what hybrid experiences are all about, our Hybrid Blueprint is a good starting point – download it now!

We hope you enjoyed reading this article and found it useful. At ExpoPlatform, we want to help you build better events and communities. Please get in touch and ask for a demo here. Thank you.