The Purpose behind the Meeting and Events Industry

It remains amazing to think about all that has transpired over the course of 2020. The world experienced an incredible disruption to how we did just about anything. The shock to both our personal and professional lives came suddenly as we were forced to adapt to new ways of operating.

Against this backdrop of social distancing, however, the value of human connection and the benefits of community are only more appreciated. And in this way, there is an opportunity for the meeting and events industry to play an important role in the recovery from this global experience. I have been inspired by our industry’s resilience – we did not sit on our collective hands, waiting for the health crisis to pass in order for us to meet again. At PSAV Encore, we are motivated by our purpose to “connect and inspire people to better our world.” The focus on this ‘why’ we exist has always been more important than the ‘how’ we deliver against that purpose.

Signs of Growth – This Is How

We have embraced a recovery with new solutions and innovations to help our customers achieve their goals. Importantly, we are starting to see some green shoots as evidence the tide is turning. First, many of our customers are pushing technologies further to support more engaging virtual or hybrid events. Second, and it may come as a surprise, we have produced nearly 10 thousand in-person events for customers all over the world these last few months. Both are positive signs for how our industry is adapting to a changed world.

One way PSAV Encore has shifted to virtual and hybrid is through the development and use of Presentation Stages™. These are remote presentation environment solutions that bridge presenters and attendees together in a pre-built location to produce, record and broadcast an online event. Then there is Chime Live, our proprietary all-in-one platform that offers multiple engagement tools to connect virtual or hybrid meeting attendees with each other and the presenter. And we have become more effective in connecting live in-person meetings with remote attendees to achieve an expanded audience. Please know we are doing it all consistent with our industry-leading MeetSAFE practices, ensuring we always keep our customers and team members safe.

We Are Meeting

We know that every organization is eager to re-engage with their stakeholders. Building communities, ensuring alignment as we plan for a new year in 2021, and creating opportunities for those moments of serendipity when people gather. We can all think of a situation where an unscripted conversation or chance encounter with a colleague served as the spark for the next big idea. It may be a bit longer before more things can return to the way they were, but all is not lost. We can still connect. We can still inspire. We can still meet. It may be different from what we were used to, but the meeting and events industry is here to help keep those big ideas coming.

To learn more about how PSAV Encore’s virtual and hybrid event capabilities can help your organization connect, click here.

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Ben Erwin

From the beginning of his career in business development to his current role as PSAV President, Ben learned that becoming a leader is strongly rooted in doing right by both your employees and customers. Ben has a proven track record of developing global corporate strategies, leading organizations, and building high-performing teams

Latest posts by Ben Erwin (see all)

• Green Shoots: Resilience in the Meeting & Events Industry - October 19, 2020
• Face-to-Face Meetings – Can They Be Replaced? - April 16, 2020
• Despite Technology, Face to Face Meetings Still Prevail - July 25, 2019