KONGRES MAGAZINE - AUTUMN 2020

November 2020 //

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www.kongres-magazine.eu

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH IVO J. FRANSCHITZ // Exclusive interviews

INTERVIEW 21 // EXCLUSIVE WITH ŽIVORAD VASIĆ // Exclusive interviews

CONVENTA CROSSOVER // 24 // 5TH Conventa Crossover Reportage

CONT RIBU TORS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF // GORAZD ČAD Editor of the magazine is a geographer and historian by profession. He united his professional education and love of discovering new lesser-known meetings destinations with love and passion for the meetings industry. In meetologues he shares his enthusiasm with the readers.

NATALIJA BAH ČAD // MEETINGS AND EVENT MANAGER An unforgettable member in the editorial board of travelogues.

She has insight into the soul of destinations based on many years of practical experience with the organisation of events.

She is interested in everything from the history, geography and destination marketing to care for the tiny little things that make the big events.

JASMINA JERANT // CONTENT WRITER A creative writer since childhood was brought into the meetings industry where she can release her passion for storytelling.

She seeks for unusual, hidden, and charming facts that make a town or a building shine in a different way. She believes that places are like people. In each one of them you can find something amusing.

BARBARA DIMEC // GRAPHIC DESIGNER Visual explorer, creative problem solver, graphic designer with interest in creating innovative digital and print design solutions. Curious and always in search for new inspiration and knowledge. She strives towards positive attitude in every challenging situation with goal to translate plain information to compelling visual messages.

PUBLISHER AND PRODUCTION Poslovni turizem Gorazd Čad s.p., Kamnica 6B, SI-1262 Dol pri Ljubljani T: +385 (0)1 430 51 03 E: gorazd.cad@go-mice.eu

MARKETING Toleranca Marketing d.o.o., Štihova 4, SI-1000 Ljubljana T: +385 (0)1 430 51 03 E: gorazd.cad@toleranca.eu

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KONGRES MAGAZINE

360° MICE ACTIVATION

ANALYTICS Marketing analytics

CONTENT Copywriting and Content marketing

SALES Personal sales

EXPERIENCE Sales events

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DATABASE Big data targeting

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PRINT Image building

ONLINE Digital Campaigns

SOCIAL Social media campaigns

DIRECT E-mail marketing and Telemarketing

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A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

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WILL CORONAVIRUS RUN OFF WITH OUR PROFESSION? When the tool becomes more important than the master GORAZD ČAD //

@gorazdcad /

MARKO DELBELLO OCEPEK

In my opinion, online events have not changed the meetings industry yet.

After all, they’ve been around even before the coronavirus epidemic. “You can’t manage what you can’t measure” is a notion that should be applied to online and hybrid events. Events create added value for organisers and attendees. The classical mathematical way of measuring added value is ROI (return on investment). On the other hand, ROE (return on event) is more complex, as it includes changes and relationships triggered by the event. It encompasses change in three fields: learning, networking in motivation. ROE is the heart of what eventprofs or meeting architects, as Maarten likes to call us, are good at. The skills of event planners will be even more sought after and valuable after the crisis. We just have to learn how to justify our role in a new digital ecosystem.

Gorazd Čad // Editor-in-Chief

"What are we, Meeting Architects or Producers?"

A few days ago I took part in a webinar held by the legendary Maarten Venneste, author of the Meeting Architecture concept. Especially impressive was the part, where he asked us to question our life mission; “What are we? Eventprofs, producers or teachers?” Most of us agreed that our profession is even more important now when online events have taken over the industry. You can not convince me that we should give up on our profession and start learning the ins and outs of TV production.

Definition of a “meeting architect” by Maarten Vanneste: "A Meeting Architect is an individual who focuses on the potential meeting objectives, the meeting formats and designs, and the conceptual and practical building blocks for constructing a meeting aimed at better learning, networking and motivation in the participant population. He or she also knows how to measure the meeting results up to level 5 ROI."

With some adaptation and learning, we can shift from PCO’s (professional congress organisers) to DCO’s (digital congress organisers). A clear example of how far we are from making that shift is the following story.

Last week, a meeting planner started promoting his online event organisation software. As far as I could tell, the software solves all problems connected to the new situation. Professional live event organisers a few months ago, became professionals in selling miracle software overnight. The tool just became more important than the skill of event organisation. Instead of justifying their organisational skills in this new environment, they resorted to selling online tools. Something along the lines of; “We have the best excavator in the world, what we do with it doesn’t really matter”.

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A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

Our editorial board recently compiled a list of the best online/virtual meeting platforms. Over 60 providers responded to our feature request.

Many of them have been present on the market for years, others saw an opportunity to make a quick profit after the success of platforms like Zoom. New solutions have been growing like weeds and not a day goes by without receiving an offer for the best, genius, wonderworking online event platform.

You can view the article here: https://kongres-magazine.eu/2020/07/kongres-magazines-selectionof-virtual-meeting-platforms THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAIL.. AND TERMINOLOGY Somehow all solutions support virtual events. Rarely do providers make the distinction between webinars, online conferences, hybrid events and virtual events. It seems that the term “virtual” sells well, despite the product not having anything to do with virtual. They just don’t care and unfortunately, clients aren’t informed well enough. Before finding the right solution, you will probably have to test out a few different platforms in practice to see what works best.

HOW TO SEPARATE THE GRAIN FROM THE WEEDS? Live streaming does not equal hybrid event. Trying to combine a live and online event by adding a live stream does not make it hybrid. Choosing an online event platform depends on numerous factors like the complexity of the programme, the number of parallel tracks and on-demand content, the amount of branding, safety, mobile access, etc. We recommend choosing a platform that supports interaction between live and online attendees.

In short, all the possible tools and techniques that are at hand today, need to be combined into an effective and well-functioning, value-adding event. Professional event organisers can help you the most. To software developers, this dimension of events is mostly unknown and insignificant.

As members of the meetings industry, we need to start boldly defending our role in the wonderful new world of events.

Today, this came in my inbox (name of the company intentionally removed):

Hello Mr Čad, It is very difficult to communicate live at the moment, so I would like to draw your attention to our new online platform called XY. It will easily host your next online event, from conferences, Christmas parties, product presentations to your leadership meetings.

We provide interactivity, fun and ease of use, as well as easy integration with Zoom, Webex, etc. Your event will look like a live event.

The platform is affordable, simple for the user and structured to meet all the needs of online participants.

I am happy to send you a video about XY with more details.

Sincerely X.

Professional congress organisers do not have to suddenly turn into professional software vendors.

Let’s rather think about how we can help clients create better online and hybrid events that exceed expectations and bring added value to all parties.

Right now, creativity is more important than logistics.

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INSPIRING THE FUTURE OF EVENTS IBTM World comes to your screens this December to provide the global events community with the inspiration, business connections and industry insights to deliver exceptional experiences for your customers.

STAY CONNECTED Create new connections and develop relationships to build an invaluable network to support your business.

SOURCE INNOVATION Explore exotic destinations and quality suppliers for three days of meetings, networking and education at your fingertips.

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ELEVATE YOUR EVENT Now more than ever, it is important to stay up to date with the latest industry trends to enhance your next offering and propel your future events forward.

For more information visit www.ibtmworld.com/kongres_ autumn

Connect with us

@ibtmevents

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MOST READ STORIES

MOST READ STORIES SUMMER 2020 June - September 2020 on www.kongres-magazine.eu GORAZD ČAD //

WWW.KONGRES-MAGAZINE.EU

EDITORIAL STORIES

PARTNER STORIES

In-depth stories, prepared by the editorial board of Kongres Magazine.

We are very proud of these stories, and they are extremely popular among our readers. The results of the researches done among congress participants received the most attention during Summer. The most-read researches were:

Kongres Magazine has a diverse network of content partners, who send us truly interesting and useful news. The following articles were the most read:

• Kongres Magazine’s Extensive Research on Digital Communication during COVID-19 • Will printed press really die out?

• The Future Of Regional B2B Events • Download the full Kongres Magazine research on COVID-19 • How to solve the terminological mix-up caused by COVID-19?

GLOBAL NEWS The most impactful among the global news were articles, connected to large international trade-shows and events. They were mainly about presentations and change of formats. The absolute winner was the news regarding the type of events allowed in individual countries.

• COVID-19: Which EU Countries Are Open for Events?

• BREAKING: IBTM World has announced a switch to online • The Meetings Show will take place in hybrid form in October 2020 • New congress fund strengthens Berlin’s event industry • Brussels European Association Forum set to launch in November REGIONAL NEWS News from the region is the heart of our website. They are at the forefront of our portal due to their quantity. In the summer period, the biggest attention-seekers were articles about successful marketing projects, innovations and management changes.

• David Pobjecky has taken on the leading role in the Bratislava Convention Bureau • LET US WORK! Slovenian Music Industry Raises Red Alert • Bratislava – The “New Normal” Meetings Star • VIDEO: The first Slovenian Virtual FAM Trip was a great success • Future Meeting Space publishes innovation catalogue 4.0 for events of the future

• Neuroscience: What goes on in our mind when visiting a live event?News and Stories • Why event professionals should not aim to save the past • Six steps to plan successful Virtual and Hybrid Events • Future Meeting Space publishes innovation catalogue 4.0 for events of the future • 4 Tips for a Successful Virtual Conference INTERVIEWS Interviews are a reflection of the times and a vital part of Kongres Magazine. The most controversial article was the interview with Juraj Holub on the future of the meetings industry. A large part of the debate on the future of events moved to social media channels, and we are particularly proud of this.

• Juraj Holub: “The future of events will be virtual” • David Pobjecky has taken on the leading role in the Bratislava Convention Bureau • The Future Of Regional B2B Events • Ivo J. Franschitz: “This crisis offers great opportunities for those who dare to take risks” • Tanja Bogdanov: “A virtual/online event is no match to a real one” FROM THE EDITOR Articles from the editor in chief reflect the vision and opinion of Kongres Magazine on the key subjects of the meetings industry.

• How to solve the terminological mix-up caused by COVID-19?

• RHYTHM AND HARMONY: Creating good event rhythm is key • THE PARTICIPANTS’ JOURNEY: How to create a good user experience?

• CO-CREATION: Activate your participants • Marketing Strategies For Overcoming The Coronavirus Crisis

MOST READ STORIES

Read more stories at https://kongres-magazine.eu/

KONGRES MEETOLOGUES Among the most-read stories are the traditional congress travelogues or meetologues. Our readers access these articles through our wellaccepted venue finder on our front page. Before the epidemic this year, we managed to evaluate four destinations in Bulgaria, bringing the number of evaluated destinations to 106. We are proud that our methodology is a credible source of information for event organisers.

• MTLG – Overview Of The Best Meeting Destinations 2020 • Top 10 XL MTLG Destinations 2020 • Top 10 L MTLG Destinations 2020 • Top 10 M MTLG Destinations 2020 • Top 10 S MTLG Destinations 2020 SPECIAL VENUES Special venues are arguably the most popular segment of Kongres Magazine. A major contributing factor is also the venue finder, where event organisers can find over 1000 special venues. The past Summer the hits were overviews of special venues of each country.

• Top 20 Special Venues In Slovenia • Top 20 Special Venues in Austria • Top 20 Special Venues In Croatia • Top 20 Special Venues in Serbia • Top 10 Special Venues In Montenegro HIDDEN GUEST Yet another successful season of evaluating congress hotels and conference centres for the certificate and award Meetings Star is behind us. During Summer 2020 the most-read were the following hidden guests: HIDDEN GUEST: Sunrose 7 – Heritage Boutique Hotel HIDDEN GUEST: Roxanich Wine & Heritage Hotel HIDDEN GUEST: Hotel Maribor HIDDEN GUEST: Congress Centre Sarajevo HIDDEN GUEST: Convention Centre Šibenik

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10 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS

TANJA BOGDANOV

Exclusive interview with Tanja Bogdanov, General Manager at DMC Vekol GORAZD ČAD //

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almost 100 per cent of events either closed, rescheduled or gone virtual.

Due to travel restrictions as well as a continuous slump in demand – a decreased willingness for non-essential travel among companies – a fairly young and underdeveloped MICE industry in Serbia faced devastating challenges. To be precise, foreign arrivals in March 2020 fell by 65.8% year-on-year. With most international flights banned, both business arrivals and spending in April 2020 have fallen down to zero.

That was a knockout for the entire chain of MICE-related industries.

Q: How much damage has the epidemic caused for your company?

Luckily – thanks to our composure and loyalty of our clients – we’ve seen a lot of rescheduling rather than outright cancellations, as over 90 per cent of our major projects only got postponed to 2021. However, our biggest pride is that, in spite of the unremembered uncertainty, we managed to keep our team at the core of any actions and decisions, and we did not let go of any of the employees.

But now that we’re talking about switching everything to online, we keep forgetting that this is a major economic loss not only for us as event organizers, but also for our surrounding communities, meaning dozens of related jobs in the tourism “value chain” – from hotel staff to small local manufacturers. Each year world events generate $1.5 trillion in spending, including airfare, transportation, hospitality, venues, services and much more. What’s their future if we stick to the two-dimensional world?

"Over 90 percent of our major projects got postponed to 2021"

Q: How badly has COVID-19 affected the meetings industry in your

country?

The worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 has brought the entire world to a standstill for quite a while, and Serbia is no exception. We have seen

Q: How do measures put in place by regional governments help with exiting the crisis? What do you miss?

Undeniably, the travel industry has been the hardest-hit of all major economic branches. This was fairly early recognized by the Serbian government, which has responded noticeably quickly with adopting economy-wide stimulus packages, accentuating job retention to ensure survival and livelihood.

Unfortunately, Serbia is not among the destinations where receptive travel significantly contributes to national economy and GDP, so these policy responses are far from enough for the industry to reopen without severe consequences once the support measures fade away. Particularly in those countries, where the sector plays a significant role in the national economy, not only contributing to GDP but also to millions of jobs.

Q: Do you think the situation will get worse before it gets better?

Have you prepared any preventive measures in case of a second coronavirus wave?

At DMC Vekol, we rely on ourselves rather than good luck. Our company is known for reinventing and adjusting to new realities very quickly,

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS 11

especially having in mind that we swallowed many hard pills and survived turbulent times and uncertainty on quite a few occasions from 1998.

With the pandemic in our market firmly easing down, getting back to (full) normal is finally in sight. In terms of revenue, we expect to fully pick up from where we left off no earlier than in Q3rd 2021. A severe second wave, though, would be the worst-case scenario, as a further decline in international travel would put unbearable pressure on jobs and businesses.

Q: What has the epidemic taught us about the current state of the meetings industry? Will the epidemic also bring something positive?

Events are such a huge part of business life. Pandemic was a wakeup call for the majority of the event industry to leverage the new business landscape. Prior to COVID, the online component of events was usually just a sporadic, overlooked and often annoying feature. Now, attendees are starting to use digital platforms with a lot more assertiveness and event organizers are ready to deal with double infrastructure: physical and digital. One of the best side effects of the new normal is that our clients are now feeling more comfortable to experiment than ever before.

Also, it’s now clear that tiring ‘keynote-breakout-repeat’ format will need to go and shorter, but more intense sessions will prevail.

Q: Do you think the quarantine period was beneficial for unwinding and gathering new creative ideas for the future?

Necessity is the mother of all invention and we as event planners are being asked to learn our job all over again. Repurposing content for online, reframing platforms from one-way to interactive, making the most out of digital providers – all these are challenges that crave utmost creativity.

Ingenuity and forward-thinking have the chance to thrive in reimagining a more colourful future beyond COVID-19.

Q: What are some alternatives to live events? Are live events a thing of the past or will we continue to meet in person after the coronavirus?

Ever since April, everybody’s inbox is constantly overrun with invitations to join virtual talks, networking sessions, panels and more. Now, many events will likely go back to normal and resume as they always have, but given the costs involved in travel and the capacity for online tools to offer a similar experience, it may well be that the event industry has changed forever.

However, there are some obvious drawbacks and limitations. There is a lot of noise in the online space today. Also, shorter attention spans will need to be taken into consideration when planning online gatherings.

Remote attendees are also more likely to be distracted by emails, calls or children. And of course, giving voice to the online audiences and making networking experience feel natural might be the greatest challenge of all.

All of this being said, I still don’t see a decent alternative to live events, at least not in all important aspects. Mankind overcame many disruptions in communications, but nothing ever changed human nature and necessity for face-to-face interactions. The human element of connecting with others, having in-depth discussions and forging partnerships is still largely confined to the offline world.

Q: Do you think online events can replace the physical experience of live events?

Lockdown is over, but the grand experiment of remote work and online events might hang around for a while. Companies that shifted to remote

will not just shift back overnight. But technologies such as Zoom that have people stare at disembodied heads of their colleagues through a screen are a very poor substitute for face-to-face interactions. A virtual setting is no match to a real one when it comes to random collisions between teammates that lead to new ideas. People often tend to evangelize new trends, but PRO’s don’t always automatically outweigh the CON’s. Remote today does look less scary and it might stick for a while once the pandemic ends, but personally, I don’t see the big gain.

All these technologies that we’re discussing have already been in use for years, how come online-only hasn’t emerged before?

Q: How have you managed to connect the digital and analogue world at your events and in business?

At DMC Vekol we have gone digital before it became a necessity – from advanced mobile apps that helped us virtually design event experiences from scratch to webcasts, live streaming etc. COVID-19 outbreak only made us go one step further and experiment with the full-online layout of events.

This summer we launched the first-ever hybrid fashion project OXYGEN in Serbia, hand in hand with our most iconic haute couture designer Verica Rakocevic, internationally known as “Serbian Coco Chanel”. The project premiered the Fall/Winter 2020/21 collection and celebrated the sheer sacrifice of medical staff during the pandemic crisis. What we did was morph the runway event into the TV show format: live performance, very limited live audience and strong tech infrastructure. This also showed one clear and steady tendency for all the upcoming events: AV will continue receiving incredible budget injections. Thanks to being already fluent in virtual event technology, we managed to attract diverse audiences from all over the globe and maintain a high level of energy throughout the process.

Q: In these turbulent times, what separates your company from the competition?

In the MICE industry, we are now seeing Darwin’s Theory of evolution in person. The coronavirus lockdown might only have accelerated some trends that would otherwise take decades to embody. Agility, ability and willingness to take risks and instantly adapt have always been our strength as a company. The fact that we didn’t lose a single client and that we managed to go to full-remote without the business suffering is the leading indicator that we will be able to navigate any upcoming disruption and that we’re truly capable of innovation.

PERSONAL QUESTIONS FOR TANJA

Q: What will we be discussing over coffee at the same time next year?

In our office, hopefully, we’ll be discussing long overseas holidays instead of business survival tactics.

Q: Where do you find inspiration for events in these tough times? Do you have a favourite event agency or role model?

In a world so diverse and yet so accessible, possibilities to find inspiration are infinite. I don’t chase sources of inspiration; I rather derive it from random occurrences.

Q: What inspires you in your daily life? (music, books, nature…)

A good conversation a day keeps running out of ideas away.

12 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS

SANJA VUKOV-ČOLIĆ

Exclusive interview with Sanja Vukov-Čolić, Deputy CEO at Spektar putovanja Ltd. GORAZD ČAD //

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Q: How badly has COVID-19 affected the meetings industry in your country?

The impact of COVID – 19 on the Croatian meeting industry has been severe. No one involved in the event industry was left without consequences, as most events were postponed or cancelled. The extent of the crisis has forced service providers to change and adapt to the new circumstances by implementing virtual solutions to the physical meeting bans problem.

Q: How much damage has the epidemic caused for your company?

The epidemic has caused as much damage to the company as one might expect. Sales are down to a fraction of last year’s results across all departments. However, our company succeeded in preserving jobs.

Our staff turnover has been kept to a minimum. Regarding the MICE segment for 2020, we had contracted over 60 projects, of which 4 were realized, and the rest were either postponed or will be held in another form according to the new regulation.

Q: How do measures put in place by regional governments help with exiting the crisis? What do you miss?

Measures lack a sense of long-term strategic thought or even a rudimentary understanding of the industry. The measures provided by the government are pure of a reactionary financial nature ( salary subsidies, for ex.). According to optimistic estimates, agencies will not be able to generate turnover and ensure the liquidity of operations until the summer of 2021. That is why it is important to ensure additional measures: the placement of new liquidity lines with a longer period of use, reducing VAT in tourism and exempting businesses from paying contributions to employees’ salaries and income taxes.

"No one involved in the event industry was left without consequences"

Q: Do you think the situation will get worse before it gets better? Have you prepared any preventive measures in case of a second coronavirus wave?

I honestly do not know, and I refuse to speculate. We have been implementing epidemiological measures on-site during the few incentives and events that were left on this year’s calendar. We plan to continue the implementation of such measures.

Q: What has the epidemic taught us about the current state of the meetings industry? Will the epidemic also bring something positive?

The epidemic has made it clear that changes in the industry, on an organized scale, must be made. Trends change at lightning speed and roles change dramatically. Experts in the meeting industry have to adapt

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS 13

to the new rules of the game. New knowledge, new skills, challenges‌.

Q: Do you think the quarantine period was beneficial for unwinding and gathering new creative ideas for the future?

It was beneficial in the sense that one could develop methods of necessary change management. Ideas are all well and good, but it is hard to develop anything if the future of the industry is uncertain. This situation affected people differently, from fear and blockade to euphoria and new creativity.

Q: What are some alternatives to live events? Are live events a thing of

the past or will we continue to meet in person after the coronavirus?

The only alternative to live events we have any experience with is the virtual event platform. Live events are not a thing of the past, and I do not believe the epidemic will have a multi-generational effect on the industry.

It will go away, and people will continue with their lives.

"Human contact is irreplaceable"

Q: Do you think online events can replace the physical experience of live events?

No. Virtual events are a poor substitute; an ersatz solution. There are currently an extremely large number of different virtual events and this way of participating is becoming tedious. Human contact is irreplaceable.

It is also important to emphasize the enormous importance that the organization of live events has on the entire tourism and other activities.

Q: How have you managed to connect the digital and analogue world at your events and in business?

Communication is key. The most important element is reaching an understanding with the client. After that, everything falls into place regardless of the methods chosen.

Q: In these turbulent times, what separates your company from the competition?

The same qualities that have always separated us from the competition.

Our experienced and flexible teams, robust organization, strong financial base have become more apparent during this crisis.

PERSONAL QUESTIONS FOR SANJA

Q: What will we be discussing over coffee at the same time next year?

Hopefully, we will not have any time for long discussions over coffee next year.

Q: Where do you find inspiration for events in these tough times? Do you have a favourite event agency or role model?

Among my dedicated and enthusiastic coworkers.

Q: What inspires you in your daily life? (music, books, nature‌) Socializing with people who have a positive effect on me and share the same outlook on life.

14 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS

OLGA KRZEMIŃSKA-ZASADZKA

Exclusive interview with Olga Krzemińska-Zasadzka, Managing Director at PowerSport / Power Agency GORAZD ČAD //

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Q: How badly has COVID-19 affected the meetings industry in your country?

In my opinion, in Poland, the problems of the incentive and tourist industry and the transport industry related to them, and later the event industry, began at the beginning of February this year. At that time we began to observe an increased number of cancelled trips to Asia, in particular to China. After a few weeks, customers began to cancel trips to Italy and other European countries. Later, all trips and events were cancelled or postponed. As industries connected with tourism, for over 6 months we have been doing everything we can to “survive” and keep our companies alive.

Q: How much damage has the epidemic caused for your company?

We reduced costs, sought support, interpreted the provisions of the EU directive on tourism. Unfortunately, it turned out that it does not protect entrepreneurs in any way. At that time, we also submitted a number of postulates to the Polish ministries, indicating the steps, in our opinion, necessary for implementation. We have implemented new services in our company, including #bezpiecznebiuro, #bezpiecznyhotel, we supplied hospitals with protective equipment, we also provided our clients’ employees with things needed for remote work. We have orders for small events since July; we also provide online training and meetings.

Q: How do measures put in place by regional governments help with exiting the crisis? What do you miss?

In Poland, these activities were very diverse. Individual local governments decided whether the funds were to be in the form of a loan or a subsidy.

In addition, the funds were not intended for all victims only for a part of the industry. Often minutes were decisive for receiving support, because the funds were distributed “first come, first served”. Many companies were left without support. In the Masovian Voivodeship, where we run our company, the recruitment has still not been resolved. We are waiting patiently.

"I can’t imagine any other option than meeting in person in the future"

Q: Do you think the situation will get worse before it gets better? Have you prepared any preventive measures in case of a second coronavirus wave?

At the moment, our company is stable. We have secured ourselves for the next months and we have adapted to online and hybrid meetings.

Large companies with an extensive employee structure are in the worst position, as well as inbound tourism and hotels. We are trying to work together to restore demand. In March, we created the TUgether initiative, and in July, the Meetings and Events Industry Council (we associate 18

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS 15

associations) and we work in every field to survive this difficult time.

Q: What has the epidemic taught us about the current state of the meetings industry? Will the epidemic also bring something positive?

Do you think the quarantine period was beneficial for unwinding and gathering new creative ideas for the future?

It is certainly positive that we use the opportunities offered by online meetings or events more often. There is no secret that thanks to them we save both time and resources needed for organization or transport.

We can also see how employers and employees (of course not all :)) became convinced to work remotely. And how many benefits and savings can be made for both sides. We stopped rushing so much, it got calmer, we spend more time with our loved ones, traffic jams in cities have decreased, tourist places are not as crowded as they used to be.

I have the impression that everything has returned to balance, at least for the moment. These are the huge benefits that we can have from this situation.

As an industry, we learned new rules of the sanitary regime, implemented safety procedures and quickly adapted to new conditions. Now we are waiting for new government decisions, releasing of meetings and incentive trips by all global corporations.

"For over 6 months we have been doing everything we can do to survive"

Q: What are some alternatives to live events? Are live events a thing of the past or will we continue to meet in person after the coronavirus?

Of course, we will meet in person – I can’t imagine any other option. This difficult time has shown us how much we need each other, how much we need direct contact. You can already see that people want meetings, galas, face to face training. Some of us are tired of the online world, we need to reach out to people. Can you imagine an online award for top traders? Will we visit the Eiffel Tower online? No way. Aeroplanes, the newest coaches and other means of transport have modern filtration systems adapted to safe travel, hotels and event agencies have introduced procedures for safety meetings. Let’s meet safely and prove to the world that it’s okay.

We have to learn to LIVE in all of this.

Q: Do you think online events can replace the physical experience of live events?

No. I am an absolute supporter of live events. Starting from interpersonal contact, influencing the senses, emotions and experiences. This can never be achieved online. As humans, we are made to interact directly with another human being. Being online for too long leads to many psychological difficulties, and more and more studies show this. The more meetings, the healthier business and private relations are. I believe that nothing charges your batteries for further work as a wonderful journey, nothing relaxes you like that, nothing makes you feel better. Let’s travel as much as possible.

Q: How have you managed to connect the digital and analogue world at your events and in business?

I estimate that I have participated in over 10 online meetings a week since March. I did everything online. I am really fed up at the moment and I sincerely want face to face meetings. We currently use online meetings when working with clients, and I think it will continue to do so in the coming months. I hope that everything will start to return to normal with the new year.

Q: In these turbulent times, what separates your company from the competition?

We have created two very cool projects: a safe office and a safe hotel. As an agency, we supplied hospitals with the necessary security measures.

We went beyond the scheme. We adapt very quickly to changing circumstances. Fortunately, we have our own office and warehouse, so we don’t have any additional rental costs. Also, we always carefully planned fixed company costs. And we operate in four Associations and the Meetings and Events Industry Council, we lobby for help at the Ministry. We are up to date with the regulations.

PERSONAL QUESTIONS FOR OLGA

Q: What will we be discussing over coffee at the same time next year?

About how everything returned to normal and we are operating in full swing. About what events are hot and what travel destinations are the coolest for our clients. I am very curious about it myself. These last months have changed everything in our lives – I am curious how it will translate into our future actions.

Q: Where do you find inspiration for events in these tough times? Do you have a favourite event agency or role model?

I observe many Polish and international agencies and industry competitions. I watch important world events, galas and projects with great interest. I visit interesting places, meet interesting people, and thanks to them I get inspired everyday.

Q: What inspires you in your daily life? (music, books, nature…)

I find peace and balance in sports and travelling. I love sports. By far, my strongest disciplines are squash and skiing. I love travelling and getting to know new places. I love my life and although this year is harder, how one of the Polish bands sings: I believe “that it will be beautiful, it will be normal again”.

16 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS

IVO J. FRANSCHITZ

Exclusive interview with Ivo J. Franschitz, Founder & Owner at ENITED Business Events GORAZD ČAD //

WWW.KONGRES-MAGAZINE.EU

Q: How badly has COVID-19 affected the meetings industry in your country?

Pretty much the same way as in many European countries. Our business events industry is definitely in a bad shape at the moment, also here in Austria.

Q: How much damage has the epidemic caused for your company?

As a consultancy firm, we have been hit less hard than most of the classical event marketing/management agencies. Yes, also for us, any business event projects for 2020 we have been involved in, have been either cancelled, stopped or delayed. However, the financial impact for our company was manageable, due to the fact that our company has been based for some time on a very lean & agile resource and cost structure.

Q: How do measures put in place by regional governments help with exiting the crisis? What do you miss?

Again, there are similar “first aid & emergency” measures and support programs running in many European countries, hence, also in Austria.

What’s very new & unique in Austria, is the establishment of a governmental “schutzschirm” (protective shield) for our events industry, which was announced at the end of last week. It is basically a “default/ failure” guarantee from the Austrian government, any event owner/ organizer can resort to, if & when any planned event in the near future needs to be cancelled due to any changes in the issued COVID-19 regulations/rules.

Q: Do you think the situation will get worse before it gets better? Have you prepared any preventive measures in case of a second coronavirus wave?

As we are all more and more driven rather by perception (created in a joint effort by the global media & the national governments) than reality, it cannot really get much worse currently for our business events industry, in my opinion. So it can only go up & get better.

"This crisis offers great opportunities for those who dare to take risks"

Q: What has the epidemic taught us about the current state of the meetings industry? Will the epidemic also bring something positive?

As it is common in a crisis situation, we get first smacked in the face, as a wake-up call, to realize what part of our business events industry has been falling behind. Mostly it is a combination of lack of proactive approach & initiative to change in good times, leading to certain inertia.

I am a firm believer that this health crisis, with all its global social & economical effects, offers great opportunities for those who dare to take risks and are able to think “out-of-the-box”.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS 17

Q: Do you think the quarantine period was beneficial for unwinding and gathering new creative ideas for the future?

Yes, to a certain extent, after the first “shock wave” has passed. Suddenly we had a change to step out of the daily “rat race”.

Q: What are some alternatives to live events? Are live events a thing of

the past or will we continue to meet in person after the coronavirus?

Face-to-face engagement and experiences are part of our human being, our DNA. hence, there will be no replacement for it. Yes, of course, the content, structure & formats of events will and need to evolve. But that has more to do with the general evolution of our societies, economies, means of communication and needs of engagements than with the COVID-19 crisis. The crisis, first & foremost, acted as an accelerator of that evolution.

"A simple copy & paste from face-to-face to virtual does not work"

Q: Do you think online events can replace the physical experience of live events?

Never ever.

Q: How have you managed to connect the digital and analogue world at your events and in business?

By starting from scratch, re-thinking & re-defining the content, structure & format of any hybrid or virtual event. A simple copy & paste from faceto-face to virtual does not work.

PERSONAL QUESTIONS FOR IVO

Q: What will we be discussing over coffee at the same time next year?

Hopefully, about the learnings and the opportunities, we have created out of it.

Q: Where do you find inspiration for events in these tough times? Do you have a favourite event agency or role model?

Knowing that the current crisis will not be the end of our live communication industry. Quite the opposite, our industry will be an important part of our recovery journey.

Q: What inspires you in your daily life? (music, books, nature…)

Good friends, good food & drinks, and not forgetting about living your life apart, more than ever.

18 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS

BOŠTJAN PRIJANOVIČ

Exclusive interview with Boštjan Prijanovič, Managing Director at New Moment GORAZD ČAD //

WWW.KONGRES-MAGAZINE.EU

Q: How badly has COVID-19 affected the meetings industry in your country?

Catastrophic, but still not widely recognised. The problem is the meetings/ event industry is not a clear entity of companies. It consists of various locations, congress centres, hotels, event agencies and most important – of many many support organizations and individuals, such as performers, production companies, moderators, translators, hostesses, transport organizations, printing houses, digital support companies (for invitation and payment systems) and many others.

We are not coherent as an industry and most of us are not focusing on organising events only. Hotels obviously offer other services, agencies also do other marketing and advertising services, for many individuals events are just a part of their job. I think that the Slovenian Convention Bureau is doing an excellent job explaining our position to our government, but we are still not close to a support package for the event/meetings industry.

Q: How much damage has the epidemic caused for your company?

We are at 25% of last year’s performance in the first half of the year.

In total, this year we will have approximately 60-70% lower income compared to 2019. More than half of our income was event-related and in addition, some clients are also revising their plans and subsequently, we have fewer projects. It is much worse than the 2008 recession as the change was instant. From heaven to hell in one day, on Friday, March 13, 2020. I am actually surprised nobody is referring to that day as Covid Black Friday in Slovenia.

"There is no alternative to live events. Simple as that."

Q: How do measures put in place by regional governments help with exiting the crisis? What do you miss?

We are using government measures to keep our people employed. As much as we can to keep the agency fully operative for our clients. But in numbers, this support is not nearly enough. Not to mention the process to get this support is over-bureaucratic, complicated and payments are very late. The most bizarre is the measure of liquidity loans with state guarantee. The government guarantees for 80% of the loan and it is still impossible to get it – as banks are the ones to decide according to our financial situation, which is obviously bad compared to 2019. It is absurd.

Catch 22. We have just finished the almost two months process of getting a loan with our long-term bank and the outcome is humiliating.

“Feeling like Oliver Twist”, would be my tweet, with the hashtag SKB . It is clear we are surviving only because our people understand the situation and they were prepared to sign to much lower wages.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS 19

Q: Do you think the situation will get worse before it gets better? Have you prepared any preventive measures in case of a second coronavirus wave?

Well, I think we are already in the second wave. It is still possible to organise some type of events, but as for business events, the future is bleak. There isn’t a client, especially big international companies, who would dare to have a live (or hybrid) event and potentially take the risk of bad PR. So, NO job for us, obviously. Our only option to stay alive through this crisis was very clear from the start – transform our agency to other services, not events. In March and April, we had some illusions that the lockdown may last for a few months but as of June, it is very clear that business events will not be on the menu at least until late spring 2021.

"From heaven to hell in one day"

Q: What has the epidemic taught us about the current state of the meetings industry? Will the epidemic also bring something positive The meetings industry had five fabulous years prior to Covid crisis. The business grew and we had trouble finding specific resources from time to time. So, everything was beautiful and in times like this one rarely thinks about problems. As the lockdown happened so fast our biggest dis-advantage occurred – we were not organized as an industry, as a community. Everybody promptly understood the problems of the tourism industry and the solution has been found in the distribution of tourist vouchers to all Slovene citizens. But nobody understood the problem of the event industry and how many companies and individuals depend on it. I would claim that this is the best thing – we are much better organized. But I am afraid this process is taking too long for many small companies and freelancers. They are closing companies, looking for a job elsewhere …

Q: Do you think the quarantine period was beneficial for unwinding and gathering new creative ideas for the future?

Yes, of course. When times like this happen, it is likely that the urge for solving problems will bring new and sometimes fascinating ideas. Our own example – we are developing a new product with our partner ORO plastika d.o.o. and for us, this is a totally new area of expertise. The Product concept, industrial design, production … not usually on our menu. Another project has been launched in mid-September – an online platform where people can order video greetings from celebrities: www.hejhej.si Both projects are a result of us looking for new areas of income – and on this road, we have somehow become a digital start-up company. But this is an investment in our work and money, also. And the money is a problem, as it is hard to get support for financing, as I mentioned before.

Bad bad banks! I came across some bizarre transformations also. Two of our suppliers in event projects (printing house and identification systems) are now selling protective products for Covid. I wouldn’t say this is a new creative idea, but it shows how hard it is to survive in the event industry at the moment. Also, some great ideas and projects are developed around online and hybrid events. And this shows the great potential our

meetings industry has. It would be a shame to find this industry in ruins next year. And it surely will be in ruins unless we are recognized by the government, maybe in the 6th wave of support measurements.

Q: What are some alternatives to live events? Are live events a thing of the past or will we continue to meet in person after the coronavirus?

There is no alternative to live events. Simple as that. There are alternatives on how to organize a presentation, how to present a new product, how to pass some information to a group of people. There are great existing digital tools for that and even better are being developed as we speak. Platforms for online and hybrid events, AR and VR. But in no way is this a supplement for live events. Because, you know, we are humans. Even now it is very clear people need live events. Whenever there is an opportunity people will gather. Every organization that is not so concerned with the potential PR issue is doing at least hybrid events.

So yes, live events will be back. The real question is who will be there to develop ideas and organise events if the meeting industry collapses.

Q: Do you think online events can replace the physical experience of live events?

No. I was very illustrative of that in my last answer. But partly this will be the case. I think that many events will remain online – especially if the main objective is education, content. I call them knowledge events. In a way, it is liberating to just open your phone or laptop and listen to a 1,5 h presentation in the office or at home, not driving to some location and potentially lose half a day. So, I believe this kind of event, maybe even some conferences will remain in an online format. But if an event has at least some networking potential or a celebration moment, clients will go back to live events as soon as possible.

Q: How have you managed to connect the digital and analogue world at your events and in business?

Me thinking – this is not real science. Some tools were available, some developed or upgraded through the last few months. We realized soon enough that lock-down on events and work from home will be more permanent, so we adjusted our processes accordingly. I am appreciating the many open supports from our clients and even from our competitors with finding proper and best tools. Especially some organizations (as Slovenian Chamber of Commerce, AmCham, for example) were great with legal and other support.

Q: In these turbulent times, what separates your company from the competition?

I would say the most important thing is that we are prepared to invest all previous year’s profit (and some future profit, too) to our people. Our aim is to keep the team. People are our value. And I am more than grateful to all of them for supporting our agency with lower wages and hard work.

Everything else – our new projects, our good work for active clients – is based on that.

PERSONAL QUESTIONS FOR BOŠTJAN

Q: What will we be discussing over coffee at the same time next year?

I hope we will be saying: “Hey, dude, that was one crappy 2020!!!” And not: “WTF, the Covid crises still endures!!!”

20 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS

Q: Where do you find inspiration for events in these tough times? Do you have a favourite event agency or role model?

I’m very proud of the agencies and individuals who have done great work to organize our industry. Miha from the Slovenian Convention Bureau, Jaka from FM, all you guys from Kongres magazine. I think you have done tremendous work.

Q: What inspires you in your daily life? (music, books, nature…)

My three children. They keep me young, alive, and digital (I wouldn’t know about Fortnite and TikTok without them). But most of all, the moment they fall asleep. This is the highlight of the day for me. Then a book and a beer.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS 21

ŽIVORAD VASIĆ

Exclusive interview with Živorad Vasić, Senior Vice President, Delta Holding GORAZD ČAD //

WWW.KONGRES-MAGAZINE.EU

Q: What is the first thing you will do after the take-over?

There are numerous contracts and paperwork that need to be finished with the City of Belgrade, so expectations are that Delta will be taking over the congress centre in January. There is the need to completely strip down and renovate Sava Center.

Q: We’ve heard that the purchase was only the first part of the takeover. How much will the cost of the renovation be, and what are your renovation plans?

We know that the cost of renovation will be at least 60 million euros.

This includes changing the facade completely, but also changing the interior with high and low electricity, adding new inventory, new heating and air-conditioning. The congress rooms will also be entirely renovated, while the state of the art multi-media systems will be implemented throughout the Sava Center, and much more.

Q: Will you also be urbanistically renovating the surroundings of the Sava Center?

The step will be for Delta Real Estate to find world-renowned architects that actually have experience in creating and drawing the congress centres, and to create a new modern congress centre that will be the point of interest not only of the City of Belgrade but for the entire region.

The goal is that the congress centre will hold everything that travellers need. Special attention will be given to the meeting rooms, but the congress centre will offer everything from the entertainment centres, restaurants, stores, rent a car to a tourist guide. When you walk in, and your meeting starts, you can spend the whole day, and during breaks, you can do all your necessary work as a world traveller.

Q: When do you think Sava Center will shine in its new light and start impressing international congress guests?

The idea is to start the renovation of Sava Center in Q4 of 2021. The renovation usually lasts for about 18 months, so I expect that somewhere in between quarter 2 and quarter 3 of 2023 Sava Center will open its doors.

"You can be certain that this new modern congress centre will bring more business to the City of Belgrade"

Q: Will congress capacities of Sava Center change after the renovation?

The congress capacities of Sava Center will not change in terms of the size and space, but obviously, there will be space for more attendees at congresses now. This is due to a flexible approach when it comes to room set-up.

22 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS

Q: It seems that the future of events will be hybrid/digital for quite some time. When Sava Center first opened, it became known as the most modern congress centre in Europe. Can we expect any innovations in the future?

Of course, it will also be very modern and digital, and there will be a lot of technological innovations in the future. I strongly believe that this is good not only for hotel Crowne Plaza Belgrade but for other hotels in Belgrade as well.

Q: Sava Center plays a crucial role in the regional congress scene. What has been the response from other hoteliers to the purchase?

We have been receiving very positive responses from other hoteliers. The centre will be an added value to Belgrade, and we will be able to bring up to eight thousand people for an event or congress.

Q: What steps will Serbia have to take in order to become the leading congress destination in South-East Europe?

You can be certain that this new modern congress centre will bring more business to the City of Belgrade, more VAT to the budget of the Republic of Serbia. It will provide new jobs for the airline industry, cab drivers, restaurants, hotels and provide more overnight stays. I am certain that in general, this is going to create a very positive impact on the entire economy.

In order for this congress centre and Belgrade to become a leading congress destination in South-East Europe, several steps will need to be taken by the Serbia Convention Bureau, the Tourist Organization of Serbia,

the Tourist Organization of Belgrade, as well as by hotels. Sava Center will work diligently to bring all European and world-known congresses to Belgrade. However, the bidding process takes time. It is much easier to bid and to win a bid when you have a diverse market like the City of Belgrade has. Here you have great hotels, a lot of international chains, wonderful nightlife, lots of great museums, and most importantly, much friendlier prices than in Western Europe. World travellers can explore an undiscovered destination such as Belgrade at a very reasonable price.

There have been many articles about Belgrade and its role as a hidden gem. The last piece of the puzzle is the modern congress centre.

Q: How has COVID-19 affected your business?

Of course, Covid 19 has been affecting the business. All the hotel business has been tremendously affected in the past nine months, and we are hoping that with the vaccine, the business will slowly start to recuperate.

With the beginning of Q2 of the next year, more frequent and normal travelling, more MICE business, corporate business and everything else that was in the past, will restart again. I think that the ramp-up will go a bit slower, but by the end of the year, hotels will be alive again.

Q: What is your key focus MICE market for the future?

With this new modern congress centre, the city of Belgrade can do anything, and DH will be able to offer to the travellers everything we weren’t able to as a city for the past 20 years or so since Sava Center started losing its shine. We look forward to welcoming many new guests and hosting them in our new modern Sava Center.

23

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24 CONVENTA CROSSOVER REPORTAGE

5TH CONVENTA CROSSOVER – PAVING THE WAY FOR FUTURE EVENTS 27 – 28 August 2020, Ljubljana, Slovenia WWW.KONGRES-MAGAZINE.EU //

THE FUTURE WILL BE HYBRID

MARKO DELBELLO OCEPEK

CONVENTA CROSSOVER REPORTAGE 25

The first hybrid edition of Conventa Crossover proved that the basic human need of exchanging opinions and ideas is much stronger than restrictions and fears connected to the pandemic. According to the first post-event feedback, the organisers exceeded all expectations and provided over 150 attendees with an exclusive insight into the future of the meetings industry. The 5th Conventa Crossover conference took place from 27 to 28 August 2020 in hybrid form, allowing The live portion of the conference took place in Cankarjev Dom Ljubljana, while the online portion was live streamed to a custom-built online platform.

“In a time when the whole world is afraid of what’s next, optimism is a rare thing. Bad news travels much faster than good news and in only a few months, events have drastically changed and marketing strategies have been turned upside down. I am proud that we had the courage to organise Conventa Crossover in the midst of a global pandemic and strict restrictions. This proves that we are truly an agile and inventive community.”

Gorazd Čad, The founder of Conventa Crossover

26 CONVENTA CROSSOVER REPORTAGE

If there is one thing we’ve learned through the lectures of 30 amazing experts at Conventa Crossover, it’s that change is inevitable. By the same token, the meetings industry is enduring and live events will never die.

Just like music, events are a universal language. Ask yourself, what is more exciting, listening to a live concert or a song through your headphones?

There is a time and a place for both, but nothing can replace the energy shared at events. That energy is priceless and it’s the reason why meeting planners won’t be throwing in the towel just yet. It’s the reason why the organiser of Conventa Crossover use their slogan: POWER TO THE MEETINGS! It is a concept that advocates more quality and greater responsibility; to the attendees, environment and ourselves.

Gorazd Čad mentioned that we live in a confusing world and we have to do our best to adapt: “It was not until we started dealing with restrictions on gatherings and constant safety threats by the media that the fragility of our industry became evident. An industry that is based on codependency and symbiosis of so many key players. I think the fundamental goal of the event was achieved – sharing a positive message and setting a good practice case for similar hybrid events.”

CONVENTA CROSSOVER REPORTAGE 27

What went on at the 5th Conventa Crossover?

The event consisted of 5 segments. In the first programme segment, pioneers in the field of event digitalisation discussed the trending dilemma of live versus online events. The second part was dedicated to relationships between clients and event agencies. Based on the discussions, the attendees had to write a short sales pitch that would convince a potential client to buy their product/service. The third segment brought insight into how the largest international event agencies readjusted their business strategies. The first finalists of the Conventa Best Event Award competition were also presented. In the fourth segment, a full afternoon was dedicated to destination marketing and how leading regional Convention Bureaus adapted to the new pandemic reality. The last part of the event got creative juices flowing with out-ofthe-box topics on the universal language of music and events.

28 CONVENTA CROSSOVER CASE STUDY

HOW WE ORGANISED OUR FIRST HYBRID EVENT How we survived and became the first Slovenian DCO Agency (Digital Conference Organiser) GORAZD ČAD //

MARKO DELBELLO OCEPEK

An article written by Gorazd Čad, a seasoned meeting planner, who has dedicated 25 years of life to the meetings and events industry.

He witnessed the fall of Yugoslavia, the establishment of independent Slovenia, adapted to the internet revolution of the ’90s, overcame the economic crisis of 2008, the 2010 eruption of an Icelandic volcano, and the 2019 meetings industry burnout...

Six F-16 fighter jets flew across Slovenian skies on 1 June 2020. A loud and proud proclamation by the Slovenian government - the COVID-19 pandemic was officially over. Or so we thought. Numerous articles about how we successfully suppressed the spread of the virus flooded our media space. Optimism spread among meeting planners as well. By the middle of June, the epidemiological situation was seemingly cured. In our minds, there was a 99% certainty that we would carry out the Conventa Crossover conference live at the end of August.

It was when August came that we realised how wrong we were. The situation kept getting worse each day and we had to change our strategy completely. When one after the other, speakers from countries on Slovenia’s red list started to cancel their participation, we had no other choice but to go hybrid. I felt sorry for each and every person, who had

to cancel their attendance. Just like that, Conventa Crossover, known as the festival of events and live marketing became a hybrid conference.

The further we researched, the more we realised that this hybrid concept might not be a bad thing. It combines the best of both worlds - brings attendees to a physical venue and invites everyone else to join online.

My younger colleagues quickly employed standard millennial ways of dealing with new situations - finding the best solution on Google and YouTube. They searched in vain and quickly gave up on the expertise of their most cherished reference tool. An endless array of articles brought little to none value - as if they were written by robots without any practical experience. From a sea of videos theorizing the use of different video conference platforms, there was not one practical guide explaining how to organise a hybrid event. Just self-promotion videos by different software providers trying to sell their products.

We scrapped the idea of trying to find a solution online and took on the project like every other in the past - through design thinking and meeting design we broke down the project into pieces and built a new event prototype. Right off the bat, we knew that connecting two different audiences (live and online) would be a big challenge, as we would have to cater to the needs of both.

CONVENTA CROSSOVER CASE STUDY 29

GOOD TO KNOW: Live streaming DOES NOT equal Hybrid Event Trying to combine a live and online event by adding a live stream does not make it hybrid. Live streaming is only one part of a successful hybrid event. Nevertheless, it is a service that you will certainly need. It can be as simple as filming a live video from your mobile phone, but we recommend putting this in the hands of experts, who can provide a full production level live stream with multiple cameras and live mixing. They also understand the technical complexity of hybrid events much better.

Organising a hybrid version of the Conventa Crossover conference gave us an incredible amount of practical experience and knowledge that we are now ready to share with you. It was actually one of the first hybrid events in the region. If you are preparing to host a hybrid event or the thought of organising one is disturbing your sleep, this article is for you.

A hybrid event ecosystem consists of: 1. MEETING design

We could not have carried out the event without a good creative foundation built through design thinking tools and techniques. The needs and expectations of the attendees were constantly in our minds. In the end, we produced two event prototypes and plenty of ideas for future events along the way.

2. CONTENT management

When preparing the event, 80% of our energy went into generating content for all communication channels. Events are incredible communication boosters and having an experienced copywriter in-house was a big advantage.

3. COMMUNITY building

Having different tools for activating participants at your disposal is another important part of a successful event. Building a strong community around the Crossover project started with a well-arranged database of contacts. As the new pandemic reality shifted focus to regional markets, the database needed to be updated in order to become the backbone for direct marketing.

4. SOCIAL MEDIA management

A big chunk of our marketing moved to social media. We coordinated a specific plan for optimising our presence on different channels, developed a unified visual image, and determined a weekly activation schedule.

LinkedIn proved to be the channel with the highest conversion and lowest investment - we’ll go into the intricacies of individual social media platforms in a separate article.

5. SPEAKERS coaching

A lot of speakers weren’t able to come to Ljubljana. We, therefore, had to make sure that they were prepared and ready to use all facets of our online platform in order to ensure a smooth and professional presentation. We guided them through the process of screen sharing,

setting up their camera and audio, coordinated the programme and organised a rehearsal one day before the event.

6. REGISTRATION management

Participant accreditation, entrance control and checking attendance were all carried out in accordance with the Safe and Healthy Meetings & Events standard issued by the Slovenian Convention Bureau. Hand sanitisers and face masks were available at the reception desk.

Choosing the right ONLINE EVENT PLATFORM for your event An online event platform determines how your online attendees experience the event. Choosing the right online event platform is an important part of a hybrid event. The choice depends on numerous factors like the complexity of the programme, the number of parallel tracks and on-demand content, the amount of branding, safety, mobile access, etc. We recommend choosing a platform that supports interaction between live and online attendees.

Because of the complexity of Conventa Crossover, we decided to go with a custom-built online event platform, where everything took place - the live stream, live chat and on-demand content.

DISCLAIMER: These platforms are still not ideal, especially when it comes to matchmaking and online attendee activation during the event. However, right now, they are the best alternative for connecting two different audiences.

7. LIVE STREAMING service

When it came to live streaming, we were faced with a big decision; do we outsource and find a team that specializes in live streaming or somehow try to do it ourselves. We went with the first option, which saved us a lot of stress and stopped us from growing additional gray hair. With the help of an amazing team, the conference was professionally live-streamed to our custom-built online event platform using 3 cameras and live mixing without any major hiccups.

8. ON-DEMAND CONTENT production

When the live audience was having a coffee break, we wanted to engage our online attendees. For this reason, we prepared pre-recorded content that they could watch. We used our trusted Clickmeeting platform to record speakers and their presentations from home. This is a simple way to bring more added value and a sense of exclusivity to online attendees.

9. LIVE production (at the physical venue)

Without an amazing live experience, hybrid events are screwed. Taking care of professional-grade lighting, sound and picture are just the essentials. We were happy that Cankarjev dom’s technical staff made sure everything was in order. When it comes down to it, you can have the best IT support in the world and Murphy’s law could still interfere with your event, so always carry out a rehearsal and brief your technicians.

30 CONVENTA CROSSOVER CASE STUDY

10. ONLINE engagement

Moderating quizzes, preparing surveys, or organising prize draws are forms of gamification that can make online attendance that much more engaging. From our experience, bringing an online moderator on board can be very beneficial. Zoom’s breakout rooms are a great way to split attendees into smaller groups and give them tasks related to the programme.

11. EVENT analysis

If we want our events to become strategical communication tools, we need to know how to measure reach and participant satisfaction.

Integrating reports from different communication tools to calculate the final reach can prove to be a challenge. For this purpose, we developed our own KPI matrix for measuring the full effects of events.

KEY OUTTAKES FROM THE EVENT Out-take 1: Social distancing measures cut down our physical attendance by 3-times, but options for expanding the audience through hybrid formats are practically endless.

Out-take 2: A well-prepared programme with good speakers will allow you to monetize content long after the event is over.

Out-take 3: It is our responsibility to minimise the carbon footprint of events. Hybrid events are a great way to realise that.

Out-take 4: Technical solutions solve a lot of challenges, but their integration into a robust, reliable hybrid system is still work in progress.

Out-take 5: No matter the event format, knowing your target audience and adapting the meeting design to that audience is crucial.

CONVENTA CROSSOVER CASE STUDY 31

10 PRO TIPS FOR ORGANISING A SUCCESSFUL HYBRID EVENT 1. More than technology, choosing the right content is crucial, as catering to the needs of two very different focus groups (live&online) can prove to be a challenge.

2. Quality is more important than the number of presentations.

Interactive formats like Q&As, Pecha Kucha presentations, or speaker “face-offs” work best.

3. Safety is important. Not just in terms of COVID-19, but also when it comes to data protection, so be mindful of the technology you use.

4. If you want your event to have good rhythm and flow, you need to have a professional moderator/facilitator, who ties the entire programme together.

8. While live attendees are using all of their senses, online attendees are limited to just two - sight and hearing. You can allow them to experience more by sending them activation tools, surprises or gifts before-hand and telling them when to open them.

9. The appeal of hybrid events is that you can stretch communication and

marketing activities throughout the whole year. You just have to make sure the content is interesting. This opens up completely new business opportunities.

10. A “one-size-fits-all” solution for hybrid events probably doesn’t exist, despite sounding so simple and logical when reading offers by tech providers. Take all of their promises with a grain of salt.

5. Adding a live stream to your event does not make it hybrid. Online attendees expect more interactivity and communication. Let’s not forget that we are in the business of making connections between human beings.

Extra tip:

6. It all starts with high-speed internet connectivity. This will make or

measures made activating physical attendees quite difficult. Through four successfully carried out editions, Conventa Crossover established itself as a good practice case of participant engagement, networking and interactivity. Let’s just hope the conference will be able to live up to its full potential in the future. You know what we always say: “Life is too short to waste time at boring events.”

break your hybrid event.

7. Engaging online attendees takes a lot more than just adding a chat-

box. A good online event platform connects live attendees with online attendees through different matchmaking opportunities. That separates an excellent platform from average ones.

Hybrid events are very similar to TV production and you can find a whole range of useful ideas there, from logistics to activating sponsors.

Team discovery: Strict safety precautions and social-distancing

LIVE OR HYBRID - WHAT IS CHEAPER? Most software providers will tell you: “Hybrid & Online events demand far fewer resources and are much cheaper and easier to organise.”

In practice, the costs of live and hybrid events are comparable, but with greater organisational complexity, hybrid events can often bring unanticipated additional expenses.

WHAT IS A DCO (DIGITAL CONFERENCE ORGANISER)?

A DCO is a specialised event agency that combines the skills of different professionals in order to connect the physical and online world.

32 FIRST HYBRID CONVENTA 2021

CONVENTA IS MOVING FORWARD IN HYBRID FORM NEW DATE: 25 – 26 August 2021 WWW.KONGRES-MAGAZINE.EU //

WWW.KONGRES-MAGAZINE.EU

After organising numerous virtual workshops, webinars and the first hybrid edition of Conventa Crossover, the Conventa team has proven that events can be successfully and safely carried out even in the midst of a global epidemic.

Uncertainty, strict safety measures, limited resources for marketing and stunted airline connections are challenges that meeting planners are facing right now. In less than 6 months, we have all become completely dependent on local and regional markets and that will probably be the case for quite some time. Over the span of 12 years, Conventa has

stayed loyal to the region of New Europe and the 13th edition won’t be any different. A healthy attitude towards the world, compassion and solidarity are built into Conventa’s DNA. With this spirit, the trade show already overcame an economic crisis in the past and the organisers believe they will succeed this time as well.

The Conventa team realises that trust is key and safety is the number one priority. Therefore, they have decided that Conventa 2021 will be taking place in HYBRID FORM in order to ensure that everybody gets an equal chance to take part in the event.

“It would be our dream to see all of your faces and shake hands in person, but as we all know, that might not be a possibility. We don’t want the faith of Conventa to be shaped by a tiny pathogen, so we are making a promise to carry out the event no matter what.”

Natalija Bah Čad, Exhibitor Manager at Conventa

What is Conventa Hybrid and how does it work?

We believe that authentic human connections are irreplaceable.

Awakening all five senses through an unforgettable experience is what Conventa is all about. After all, Conventa is a PEOPLE2PEOPLE event at

its core. With that said, events will have to adapt to the new pandemic reality and not the other way around. Conventa’s new hybrid format merges the best of both worlds; live and online. The best way to explain it is...

FIRST HYBRID CONVENTA 2021 33

NOVELTIES AT CONVENTA 2021 1. CONVENTA HYBRID

5. CONVENTA EXPERIENCE ZONE

2. CONVENTA EXPLORE

6. CONVENTA BEST EVENT AWARD

Conventa has a solution for hosted buyers, who will not be able to attend live. A new matchmaking platform will enable them to have online meetings with the exhibitors, who will join Conventa “live” in person.

Online meetings will be prescheduled the same way as live meetings.

In addition to the international buyers flying to Ljubljana, hosted buyers from 5 key destinations (Budapest, Milano, Munich, Vienna and Zagreb) will be invited to come to Conventa by bus. But this won’t be just a regular bus journey, as it will turn into a full-fledged incentive experience with health and safety precautions in mind.

3. CONVENTA MEET & GREET

In line with health and safety recommendations, the lunches won’t be standing self-service any more. They will be seated and will bring additional opportunities for matchmaking.

4. CONVENTA TREND BAR NEW EUROPE

The original date of Conventa 2021 (20 – 21 January 2021) will serve as an opportunity to carry out a 2-day online Conventa Trend Bar workshop, entitled “CONVENTA TREND BAR NEW EUROPE”. The workshop will take place under the slogan: “Regional Knowledge For Global Re:Start”. Join the new Trend Bar platform, where meeting professionals will be talking about marketing strategies for overcoming the coronavirus crisis.

Despite all restrictions brought by the pandemic, Conventa is a PEOPLE2PEOPLE event at its core.

The organisers will invest all of their knowledge and passion into making the 13th edition of Conventa another success.

The organisers moved the trade show entrance, taking participants through the Conventa Experience Zone in Stebrna hall. The space is now perfect for providers of technical equipment and event organisation solutions that have always been part of Conventa.

The competition for the best event in New Europe has been restructured with more event categories for organisers to showcase their amazing projects to the public. Finalists from both stages (Semifinal 1 & 2) will come together ONLINE on 20 January 2021, when the audience will be able to cast their vote in an online voting session. The winner of the competition will be ceremoniously announced on 21 January 2021.

7. CONVENTA BUTLER SERVICE

In case the state of the epidemic worsens, Conventa will provide complimentary “butler service” that will allow exhibitors, who cannot travel to Slovenia, to meet hosted buyers online with the help of personal Conventa assistants, who will connect them. The service will be available for countries on Slovenia’s red list in August 2021.

34 FIRST HYBRID CONVENTA 2021

CONVENTA FAQ WHAT DOES “HYBRID FORMAT” MEAN?

The new hybrid format means that exhibitors and most of the hosted buyers will join LIVE, while hosted buyers, who won’t be able to come to Ljubljana will join ONLINE and have meetings with the exhibitors.

IS THERE A CHANCE THAT YOU WILL CANCEL THE EVENT?

Conventa won’t be cancelled. If the epidemiological situation in Slovenia worsens, we will find a suitable alternative date and reschedule the event.

WHERE WILL MAJORITY OF THE HOSTED BUYERS COME FROM?

The focus will be bringing top-notch buyers from Austria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Italy, Hungary, Germany, Slovakia and Slovenia – countries accessible by car and train.

HOW WILL YOU BRING THE BUYERS, IF THE FLIGHT CONNECTIONS ARE LIMITED? We have a back-up plan; Buyers from 5 key markets – Budapest, Milano, Munich, Vienna and Zagreb will be invited to come by bus.

MYTHS ABOUT CONVENTA

It is too late to join Conventa?

NOT TRUE. You can always join the list of exhibitors if there is room on the exhibition floor. However registering before the on-line system for pre-scheduling meetings opens is a wise choice!

JOIN US AT CONVENTA 2021 HOSTED BUYERS: Become a hosted buyer at Conventa 2021

We would like to invite you to the coolest trade show in Europe, known for its friendliness, effectiveness, creativity, and flexibility. Being held in hybrid form, Conventa 2021 will provide even more value for hosted buyers than in the past.

https://conventa.si/hosted-buyers/ EXHIBITORS: Present your destination, hotel or conference centre Become an exhibitor at Conventa 2021! After almost a year, Conventa might be the first opportunity to present your offer to meeting planners in person. The exhibition floor is reserved for suppliers from the region of New Europe! https://conventa.si/exhibitors/

Conventa is expensive NOT TRUE. Conventa is one of the few B2B events where all of the costs are included in the price of the package: an equipped stand, coffee breaks, lunches and two evening receptions. So, on top of the exhibition package your only additional costs are travel and accommodation.

Hosted buyers are interested in the region of New Europe CORRECT. Only buyers with a keen regional interest can attend Conventa. Conventa has a very strict qualification system through which they double-check every application and references provided. Every year they reject more than 60% of the applications. Quality always beats quantity at Conventa.

IMPORTANT DATES

I have already been to Conventa so I won’t meet any new buyers if I come again.

NOT TRUE. Even in its periods of expansion, Conventa has stayed loyal to the region of New Europe. This allowed the organisers to build a very strong database of regional hosted buyers, which is the heart of Conventa. With over 75.000 segmented contacts, Conventa does not rely on intermediaries and guarantees that 80% of hosted buyers are new each year.

Trade shows take too much time.

YES and NO. Have you ever calculated how much time you would spend trying to find 250 contacts, trying to arrange meetings with them, and then finally trying to meet just twenty of them in different European countries? At Conventa this will all be done in two days. And after Conventa you will get the full list of all hosted buyers with their contact details.

Conventa Trade Show 2021 The oldest MICE B2B event in New Europe

20-21 JANUARY 2021 - ONLINE

Conventa Trend Bar New Europe 2021 An educational event with practical workshops for overcoming the corona crisis

20-21 JANUARY 2021 - ONLINE

Conventa Best Event Award 2021 Annual competition for the Conventa Best Event Award

25-26 AUGUST 2021 - LIVE or HYBRID

27 AUGUST 2021 - LIVE or HYBRID Conventa Crossover 2021 Festival of events and live marketing

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MAGAZINE ISSUED IN January, March, May, June, July, September, November, December ISSN NUMBER 1855-8615 PUBLISHER AND PRODUCTION Poslovni turizem Gorazd Čad s.p., Kamnica 6B, SI-1262 Dol pri Ljubljani T: +385 (0)1 430 51 03 E: gorazd.cad@go-mice.eu MARKETING Toleranca Marketing d.o.o., Štihova 4, SI-1000 Ljubljana T: +385 (0)1 430 51 03 E: gorazd.cad@toleranca.eu ISSUE DATE November 2020 For the content production it is required to get the written editorial consignment.

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