The Post-Pandemic Popularity of Virtual Events

COVID-19 has left a long-term impact on the way employees communicate, travel, and attend events. In 2020, 7 in 10 physical events were switched to virtual or hybrid formats. The move came out of necessity in order to meet lockdown standards. Now in 2022, when lockdowns are over for most of the world, digital events remain popular. 72% of professionals plan to attend virtual events at least as often as they attended physical events before COVID-19.

Where once professionals filled seats in conference halls, they now fill virtual rooms on Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Yet too much online interaction can bring fatigue and frustration. Half of the employees using video conferencing report frequent technology issues. The ability to constantly see everyone’s face during video chat is unnatural. In daily life, people don’t go places with a mirror constantly in front of them. Yet in video conferences, this is normal. It drains people and increases self-criticism. 

Despite the challenges of digital interaction, most people prefer attending events online. The cost and convenience savings on both the host and attendee’s ends are undeniable. Businesses need to tailor their virtual and hybrid events to ensure the virtual components provide maximum value to participants.