Curiosity and Cross-Fertilisation are the Keys

To face the big change that occurred in the event market after the pandemic and the challenges to find new ways to support our clients in achieving their goals, collaboration is fundamental, starting from inside our organisations and coming from diversity and the ability to connect diverse people and sectors.

The changes brought about by the pandemic have caused the fastest and most comprehensive shift in human behaviour, with digitalization underway in almost every organisation. Now, that there is a sharp increase in events demand, we must face new expectations and requests.

Virtual and hybrid events are here to stay; whilst they won’t replace traditional in-person events, incorporating a virtual component can provide a tremendous added-value, expanding the outreach and impact on both on-line and inperson audiences.

But although clients’ and participants’ behaviours have changed, their needs have not: there is still a strong desire to meet, share, communicate, educate and network. So how can associations, corporations and event organisers

create effective solutions within this new reality, still full of uncertainties (the pandemic, the war, the inflation, etc?)

I believe that this is the moment to implement agile thinking across the delivery of our projects, leveraging the value of collaboration, cross-fertilisation and mutual exchange.

Often, our day-to-day work demands fantastic organisational skills, precision and a commitment to rigorous processes. And that's absolutely correct. But the downside of this structured approach is that we can sometimes become a bit ‘stuck in a rut’ and too rigid in our approach.

There is an important lesson to be learnt from the disruption that recent events have caused to our usual routines: there is much to be gained by seeing our own roles within a wider context, moving beyond our usual habits, exposing ourselves to other styles of work and absorbing the opportunities that a wider context can offer.

Creativity feeds on diversity. Inspiration often strikes when we look up from our desks and see the potential offered by

different solutions and formats, which are frequently closer than we think, coming not only from other competitors and clients, but from other industries (culture, entertainment, sports, gaming, etc.).

So, it is crucial to stimulate and facilitate our collaborators to free their imagination, to gear up their curiosity and have time and opportunities to explore other solutions, other providers, other projects, and other communication languages. The best ideas come from creative teamwork and intellectual curiosity, so as organisations we must create the right environment for this kind of collective and individual work. Thanks to this approach we will also be able to nurture the curiosity of our clients and engage them in pivoting together new formats, ideas and solutions.

Also, this approach can attract and retain new talents – which is another fundamental need of our organisations in this moment – giving them the opportunity to leverage their fresh mindset and work culture, collaborate, and be more creative and responsible.

So, in conclusion, I strongly believe that we will create more value by embracing collaboration, cross-fertilisation and imagination to drive new ideas and innovative solutions –imaging the future of our profession - rather than thinking about what we lost and clinging onto old models that no longer fit our new world.