“I organise events because I want to change the world”
Q: What do you desire the most at the moment?
That people will be able to accept that the world has changed, and things will never be the same as before 2020. That’s just a fact. The sooner we get it, the sooner we will be able to look for new ways. We are event organisers, searching for new solutions is in our DNA and change is a natural part of our lives. I believe our ability to find new solutions will be inspirational for others.
Q: Why do you love organising events?
Experiencing the whole process from the first brainstorming to the post-event feedback from participants is one big adventure. I always say, with a bit of exaggeration, that I do events because I want to change the world. But I really do believe it. We, as event creators, have the opportunity to bring these experiences to people, thus influencing moments in their lives. So creating experiences and unique moments for human communication is the main reason why I love it.
Q: Can you present the tool or app you use the most during the corona crisis?
Great question. When I think about it, before the corona crisis, I either did not use most of the applications I currently use, or I used them in another way. I learned to use streaming software like vMix and Live Stream Studio. We are co-creators of virtual event platforms, and on top of that in cooperation with our developers, we have created a virtual photo booth. This point of view, the year 2020 was amazing, we created and started using a number of great tools to help us create experiences.
Q: How would you explain to a client why organising events is essential?
I think everyone knows that people need to communicate, they need to meet and experience experiences together. So everyone understands the importance of events, but it is up to us to look for the right form for them in the post corona world. We have a huge opportunity to redefine the whole industry and start to be more eco-friendly, more inclusive and bring people even better experiences than ever before.
Q: Is it easier to organise digital or live events?
I think both can be quite challenging at the time. Each form has its specific risks that we need to eliminate. In a virtual event, you don’t care what the weather will be like, but if you lose the internet connection, the event is over. It is probably not possible to compare which is more difficult. With both formats, you need to have a strong focus on a number of important details.
Q: Is organising digital events cheaper than organising classic events?
Naturally, clients sometimes see a cheaper way to organise a digital event because the amount of costs associated with online participants is eliminated. But even with digital events, a bigger budget brings more opportunities. In addition, with the possibilities of today’s technologies, each investment can bring a better experience, better connection of participants and better interaction, which can have a positive impact on the results of the virtual event.
“Post-covid life will be much greener even for our industry”
Q: If the future of the meetings industry will be green, where do we start?
It doesn’t matter where to start, what matters the most is to start! At Creative PRO, we take this topic seriously, and we have launched several socio-environmental projects in the past. In order to become truly green industries, we need to change our approach from the bottom up: thinking about the need to travel, reducing waste, cooperating with suppliers and venues who have zero waste approaches… I am pretty optimistic and I believe that the pandemic situation gave us the opportunity to think about what is the real need and what is unnecessary comfort. I can already predict that post-covid life will be much greener even for our industry.
Q: What will be the key trait of a great event organiser after the corona crisis?
I think the competitive advantage in the post-corona era will be versatility. As the industry changes and organisers along with clients will look for new ways of organising events, having an overview in several areas will certainly be a key factor in creating innovations.
Q: What is your view of the future? Where is the meetings industry headed?
The future is certainly in hybrid events. If we use the creativity and tenacity that we have been taught by years of live events together with technological inspirations from pandemic time, we have great times ahead of us.
Q: What is the most surprising fact about organising events?
Surprises are a daily part of our work. In Creative PRO, we even introduced a chronicle called “I never think that …” where we write down the most unexpected experiences. This chronicle is full of ridiculous or absurd situations. At this time over the past year, I can say that the most surprising thing about organising events is that it also works during the lockdown time.
EXTRA QUESTION FOR STEFAN
Q: High Tech or High Touch?
Definitely, High Touch, although in the 21st century it is amazing that we have “High Tech” that can help.
