FLEX Experiences: The Best of Both Worlds
2021
By Drew Hagen, Co-Founder and Chief Culture Officer
FLEX Experiences: The Best of Both Worlds
As we’ve adjusted to a new way of working over the past year and found new ways of doing things, so has the events industry. What was once centered around in-person engagements has been supplanted by digital experiences that connect people virtually and transmit content digitally. With over 30 years of designing brand experiences, we’ve executed thousands of digital experiences, but the channel was always considered secondary to in-person experiences. Not anymore.
What we’ve learned from the past year, and what we hold to be true, is that digital will no longer be an afterthought to the in-person event. Instead, brands need to understand each channel's unique value and embrace an integrated approach that realizes the possibilities when both channels work in concert -- what we call FLEX Experiences. While traditional hybrid programs treat the digital channel as a “follow-on,” FLEX treats each channel with equal importance and takes advantage of the “best of both worlds” to achieve an optimal mix of audience reach and brand affinity – striking the right balance.
Better than hybrid, FLEX takes a unique focus on the intersection points between the virtual and the in-person audience experience. Consistent branding across all channels ensures that audiences experience a singular brand message and design aesthetic. Content curation and delivery will be pulsed uniquely to in-person versus virtual audiences and will converge via on-demand streaming tools that all audiences can access. Moreover, mobile apps and interactive tools (e.g., chat, 1:1 meetings called “brain dates”) can help facilitate a shared experience and networking between in-person and digital attendees.
Understanding the strength of each channel is paramount to crafting the best FLEX experience. FLEX recognizes that virtual excels in driving reach and audience acquisition across a broader footprint; digital programs can easily cross geographical borders that often limit travel to in-person gatherings. Video, interactive tools, and advanced platforms provide high-quality production options to stream content, transmit product demos and deliver critical information. Virtual also supports a 360 communications approach to connect on-going with audiences. Lastly, one of the main benefits of virtual is the ability to definitively measure performance (KPIs, ROI) and leverage the data insights to improve future programs and marketing efforts.
At least for some time, in-person gatherings will be reserved for smaller groups – for whom the ability to connect in-person has lasting implications on business objectives. The in-person portion will be designed to elicit the emotional response and connection that only in-person can achieve. Limited face-to-face gatherings will also serve to facilitate the creation of up-leveled broadcast-quality content. Health-sanctioned event professionals, such as InVision’s CLEANevents teams, will travel to client locations to produce content for delivery via virtual programs.
Besides considering each channel’s strengths, FLEX Experiences recognize the need for a new framework that departs from traditional hybrid. A 3-phase approach optimizes pre-event, during, and post-event – leveraging the strengths of each unique virtual and in-person channels along the way. Each audience stands to benefit from unique experiences and attributes that are endemic to their channel of attendance. For example, in-person audiences may have a leg up in networking face-to-face, while digital-only audiences may get access to exclusive, behind-the-scenes content.
In short, the effect of the last year on our lives and business has been nothing short of transformative, and therefore our response needs to be equally profound and long-lasting. For the events industry, this has been a catalyst to a new reality in which hybrid simply does not cut it. We’re reimagining our model and how we design for an integrated brand experience that lives flexibly on a continuum between virtual and in-person – FLEX Experiences. Learn More.