Meeting Planners Face An Increasing Push Towards Technology And Online Tools

May 27, 2020

teamwork+bizdev

What does the future of meetings and events hold for countless organizations worldwide – and how will the business continue to be impacted by the spread of the coronavirus?

Per a new report from BIZDEV: The International Association for Business Development and Strategic Partnerships™, online and digital gatherings are on the rise, with seven in ten event professionals already having rebooted face-to-face programs as virtual events, according to industry leaders. Moreover, Fall 2020 is when most meeting professionals expect to resume live programs, even as they anticipate that online programming will increasingly live side-by-side alongside, rather than detract from, in-person events going forward. Smaller meetings and get-togethers of 50 or fewer people are also predicted to gain at the expense of large-scale gatherings such as conventions and trade shows in coming months.

Moreover, meeting and event planners worldwide are already feeling significant effects of COVID-19 on their business, with eight in ten having been forced to cancel live and in-person gatherings as a result of related complications. However, while many expect a continuing steep drop in the number of face-to-face events being held in coming months, and face a growing push to embrace streaming technology, a large portion still have yet to make the shift to digital – and shift sales strategies in turn.

“It’s clear that the meeting and events industry continues to change and evolve at a rapid pace in the wake of unexpected happenings,” says Scott Steinberg, President and CEO of BIZDEV: The International Association for Business Development and Strategic Partnerships. “Going forward, we expect technology and online tools to play a more prominent role in programming and audience development efforts, even as maintaining a sense of human connection in an age of social distancing still remains paramount.”

BIZDEV: The International Association for Business Development and Strategic Partnerships™ launches today, bringing networking, training, and professional development opportunities to industry pros around the globe. Representing business development and strategic partnership professionals worldwide, the association aims to help members create value and maximize opportunities by providing the research, events, and education programs that executives need to successfully work together and create cutting-edge business strategies and solutions.

Today’s leading voice in the field for market research, networking, event, and training programs, membership – which will temporarily be free for 60 days a special, limited-time offer to support businesses who have been impacted by COVID-19 – includes perks such as access to:

- Market Research and Business Intelligence

- Articles, Videos, and Learning Resources

- Exclusive Live and Online Events

- Free Webcasts and Training Guides

- Discounts on Conferences, Seminars, and Certification Workshops

“Business development pros continue to help organizations in every field drive growth, accelerate innovation, and explore promising new opportunities on an unprecedented scale,” says Scott Steinberg, CEO and President of BIZDEV™. “We’re honored to support industry professionals in every sector in their mission to cultivate and nurture successful relationships by providing them with the education, training, and research that they need to stay one step ahead of emerging trends – and one step ahead of the curve.”

What will tomorrow’s working world look like for businesses and individuals alike? A new report from BIZDEV: The International Association for Business Development and Strategic Partnerships™ sheds light on what we can expect from the new “normal.” As findings reveal, uncertainty will be the only certainty that working professionals can expect to encounter going forward. From the smallest local businesses to the largest global enterprises, the mass onset of coronavirus and other disruptive events will only continue to impact the fundamental way in which countless individuals and organizations do business in coming years.

For example: Over 100,000 retail stores may close their doors within five years, nearly half of shoppers will be avoiding large gatherings (e.g. concerts, festivals, and live sporting events) in coming months, and one in three adults anticipates going out to each much less for the foreseeable future. Likewise, we’ll all be doing a lot more working from home, videoconferencing with our doctors, and chatting with artificially intelligent computers that can think like humans going forward. As for the future of fashion? Be sure to stay tuned to your favorite video game or social network. On the bright side, you’d never know that we were all living in an age of uncertainty: Most of us say that we can’t wait to get back out and travel, and are already planning our next vacation.

“The next 10 years promise to bring more change than the prior 10,000 – a phenomenon that recent events only continue to accelerate,” says Scott Steinberg, President and CEO of BIZDEV: The International Association for Business Development and Strategic Partnerships. “Looking ahead, the future of business will be radically different from what we’ve become used to, even as the world of commerce continues to innovate and evolve with each passing day. To stay one step ahead of it, business leaders would do well to stay attuned to shifting consumer behaviors and trends.

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