Blog Articles

Updated May, 2026

The events industry is in uncharted territory. With many conferences having to pivot to the virtual environment in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, what does the future hold for international conferences, and how will the global events industry — worth $1.5 trillion* — recover? 

The COVID-19 pandemic was a key driver in the rapid adoption of virtual environments.

This is not to say that their rise in popularity was unforeseen — the format has carved a niche in the events landscape and will continue to alter the DNA of physical events in the future. Hybrid events are expected to continue to gain relevance, catering to both on-site and remote attendees.

Up until recently, online events were considered a last resort for event professionals. Mainstream digital experiences lagged behind their on-location counterparts and were largely the preserve of art exhibitions and the “the really risqué” (or borderline gimmicky). 

With more events move online, event organisers and managers of traditionally “offline” events are coming to realise that the landscape is much different.

In light of the challenges presented by COVID-19, more and more events are taking place online.

When it comes to assessing the success of an event, a key variable to consider is audience engagement. Opinions, discussions, questions – these are all signs of audience engagement and, more importantly, proof your event is interesting.

As a result of COVID-19, events and conferences across the globe are being cancelled en masses to help mitigate the virus’ spread.

For many event organisers, the solution has been to move events online – delivering smaller, more intimate sessions for delegates. The results have been overwhelmingly positive so far.

As an industry that relies upon travel and thrives on face-to-face interactions (conferences, seminars and talks), the coronavirus is a pressing concern for many event management professionals and delegates alike.

I was on a flight from Barcelona to London recently and found myself contemplating the predicament event organisers face today when it comes to the use of technology.