The COVID-19 crisis is the biggest challenge the events industry has faced in decades. Nadja Kahn, managing director of the KahnEvents agency, shared her thoughts on its impact with BlachReport:

The future of the events industry: between digital and live

The COVID-19 pandemic has confronted the events industry with unprecedented challenges. As founder of KahnEvents, Nadja Kahn shares her view of the industry’s transformation and looks ahead to the time after the coronavirus.

“There will be no simple return to the old normal,” Kahn explains. Instead, she also sees opportunities for innovation and further development in the current situation. The crisis is acting as a catalyst for changes that would have taken years under normal circumstances.

In particular, the focus on sustainability and the ecological footprint is coming to the fore. The industry now has the opportunity to develop new formats and find creative solutions for coronavirus-compliant events. Hybrid events that combine physical and digital elements will play a key role.

For KahnEvents, this means realigning the business model. The agency has already developed its first events that take place partly in person and partly digitally – including interactive elements between artists and audience. This innovative mix of live event and “TV format” opens up new possibilities for presentations at different locations.

The expert expects live events to take place only in small groups over the next 12 to 18 months. In the long term, however, she sees an opportunity for the industry to emerge stronger from the crisis – with new, forward-looking concepts that use digital possibilities creatively while meeting the need for personal exchange.

In Kahn’s view, event tourism will change significantly. Even though the desire to meet remains, companies will have to rethink their event concepts. The future lies in intelligently combining personal encounters and digital formats.

One thing is certain for the industry expert: the events industry must and will reinvent itself. With innovative concepts and a willingness to change, agencies and organizers can master this challenge.