KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 — The Covid-19 pandemic and movement restrictions have taken a toll on many businesses across the world.
One of the badly hit sectors include the event organisers who had very little to no options of adopting the new normal operating procedures in their line of business.
Breaking the boundaries, award-winning Malaysian event curator Milestone Production has embarked on virtual and hybrid events to bring forward a multitude of possibilities unparalleled by conventional physical ones.
Thanks to the technologies, the company is set to organise world-class events and experiences once again in the new normal.
Milestone Production managing director Datuk Grace Lee said such events have plenty of benefits.
According to her, well-balanced virtual and hybrid events provide more possibilities that go beyond the realm of physical events, breaking many barriers and limitations along the way.
She said virtual events extend the reach by breaking geographical restrictions, subsequently turning any local event into a global one.
“If you can reach hundreds of people via a physical event then the number of participants you can reach virtually is possibly in the thousands and more.
“This is the best opportunity to extend your events to massive crowds without worrying about venue space or other logistics and it is definitely safe in these trying times.”
Lee noted that hybrid events are gaining steady popularity as well especially among the organisers who want to have the best of both on-ground and virtual experiences combined.
She highlighted that through hybrid events, they can create better engagements with participants, allowing them to provide extensive content to the physical attendees while implementing a sustainable chain of experience in the virtual space.
“The audience can communicate, create and build connections online with something as simple as a sharing session.
“This could open up various networking possibilities for them, as well as the organisers, creating a sustainable chain of after-event experiences in the virtual space.”
Citing a survey by Business Insider Intelligence, Lee said it was shown that 80 per cent of respondents are already using or planning to use emerging tech tools like artificial intelligence-enabled chatbots to provide an additional online experience for virtual or hybrid events.
Using such technology gives organisers the opportunity to learn more about their audiences, offering them a chance to create a more curated guest list for future collaborations as well as build a database on their preferences and feedback.
As a certified virtual events planner, Milestone Production has years of experience in organising a variety of events from awards nights, conferences, seminars, workshops and training to virtual concerts, fashion shows, exhibitions and more.
The company has now taken advantage of the technology to offer a variety of virtual events to suit the current situation.
Lee dismissed the misconception that virtual events only mean webinars and said the concept goes beyond such settings.
“Many events organised physically can also be done virtually with the right technology and expertise.
“Virtual and hybrid events can be equated with greater sponsorship opportunities with measurable metrics and return on investment for sponsors as it is easier to dissect the sessions and provide data on the number of visitors and the frequency of their visits to the sponsorship packages.”
She said she strongly believes that virtual and hybrid events can catalyse a range of benefits that elude physical events including a significant reduction not only in the cost involved but in carbon footprints as well.
Lee noted that the company has a dedicated team of professionals that majors in conceptualising and creating one-of-a-kind experiential events that cater to various business and individual needs.
“Our team sets forth event planning that takes into account the current pandemic and the mandated standard operating procedures that ensue, keeping in mind the need to practice stringent health and safety protocols at all times.”
