This week we hosted our third digital conference, which was a spotlight on the events industry – an important part of our PR Net ecosystem and a big part of what we offer in our program. We were honored to have some of the industry’s leading voices join our panel: Tracy Bussan, president of MKG; Ed Starr, managing partner of BMF; Diana Pavlov, senior director of entertainment marketing for Marriott International; Jack Bedwani, founder & CEO of The Projects; Blake Kotenbrink, president of Black Flower Agency; and Bronson van Wyck, founder of Van Wyck & Van Wyck.

It was heartening to see peers who may previously been ‘competitors’ coming together to share, inspire and inform their community. One thing we took from the discussion is that creativity, agility and innovation will ensure experiential holds its important place in the future of the marketing mix. More takeaways: 

• The community of event organizers is coming together and realizing it's way overdue. These community groups will prosper even after the crisis
• With most postponed events being rescheduled for the same few months, brands must think about how they can differentiate and stand out in a saturated space
• We'll see more of a nationalistic approach, with clients supporting local vendors instead of outsourcing 
• Perfect is over, and this is the new normal: As demonstrated by the celebrity live streams, House Party downloads, Instagram Live use, and the like, consumers want realness and there’s an appreciation for people doing things off the cuff
• This period will define and influence our future behaviors, so expect the layering in of sanitary safety (like hand sanitizing stations) in addition to human interaction
• Digital events can't be replicated without strategy. Considerations like set design and guest engagement opportunities are more important than ever
• Think about the things we love about real world experiences, and find ways to bring that into a digital experience (i.e. having guests create a DIY backdrop for a Zoom event to make guests feel they are in the same room)
• Virtual events are here to stay. Digital won't replace IRL, but it will become a major component in events moving forward
• Use this time to prepare for future opportunities, take advantage of resources like online learning platforms and crowdsourced guides, plus stay connected with your industry peers