The event industry plummeted into uncertainty in 2020 and had to make swift adjustments to survive. The switch to virtual events and gatherings is arguably the most successful adjustment that came from COVID. Online meetings, conferences, exhibitions, and even parties became commonplace as people adjusted to working, living, and socializing from home. Going into 2021, the future remains unclear as to when in-person gatherings will return. For now, the event industry is focused on enhancing the virtual and hybrid event space by making the most of the advances in technology that have not only made the shift to virtual events feasible, but also successful.

The hard lockdown, which started in March this year, forced many businesses and event managers to transform their business model and embrace technology by offering planned events online, in a bid to stay afloat.
Eight months later, as the eventing industry is starting to reopen following an easing of lockdown restrictions, there is a glimpse of a new normal on the horizon.