An explain article

I finished my first study period over a decade ago with a thesis addressing mobile marketing at trade shows. Live communication meets digitization in its infancy, so to speak. It was one of the first papers on a topic that would be called hybrid events today. At that time, it was so innovative that a publisher even made a professional book out of it, and I was able to adorn myself with the title of book author while still a student. In the following years, I did not engage much with it. However, recently I've been stumbling more frequently over studies and literature on the subject of live communication. At first glance, it seems the topic from back then is still relevant. Has the industry been in a Sleeping Beauty slumber? What is happening today in the dazzling world of the event industry and where is it heading? Time for me to take a new approach and dive back in after what feels like an eternity.

Live communication is a broad term. To avoid any misunderstandings:

I mean the entirety of all tools of corporate communication with personal interaction and direct engagement between brand and customer in a staged environment. This includes trade shows, showrooms, all types of events, or sponsorships, for example. So much for the necessary definition part. Now, it gets more practical.

The first study I read about the current state of live communication clearly shows that the industry actually stands about where it was over ten years ago. To my surprise, things like social media are still being discussed—even if it seems trivial today. Overall, live communication remains—or better said, has become again—the most important instrument in the marketing orchestra for companies. The big budgets are still present, especially in the trade show area, despite the weak economy. Saving is not an option and probably never will be. The motto remains to go big or go home. The big deals are made at trade shows. Those who no longer secure these can face problems. Everything focuses on the one moment in the calendar year or the trade show days of the crucial lead trade show.

The major difference from digital channels is the fact that business is conducted here in unseen rooms, directly human-to-human. And on a grand scale. The same study offers a glimpse into the future, where nearly a third of the decision-makers surveyed agree that the importance of personal contacts will further increase. Markets are conversations. And those take place between people.

And where does digitization fit into this trend? Quite simply—it supports and creates new event formats. Much more is possible than just invitation mailings or digital success tracking. New technologies can create a high degree of interactivity in live communication (and unfortunately also a high level of hurdles, such as data privacy, compliance, and even psychological aspects). Traditional formats seem to remain while digitization serves as support. No wonder, as other studies show a kind of return to human values. When I read this, it becomes clear that there was evidently a digital push, but it was never crowned with success. The opportunity for the event world today lies in using digital potential without losing sight of the human.

Experience first!

However, people are evolving. We, who live in the digital world today, have now developed a 'banner blindness' that blocks out classic advertisements or messages. Where previously prices, products, or services were in the foreground, today a true brand experience and genuine user experience are the most important arguments. Numerous studies, such as the Trend Report by the Event Marketing Institute, show that over 90% of all consumers view live communication as the most interactive and personal instrument in the marketing mix. In the future, live communication must not be merely informative; it must move people, create meaning, and be a unique experience.

Stories as vehicles

This goal gives (what has unfortunately become a buzzword) storytelling a larger role on a strategic level in the future. It is now commonly known that our brain loves stories and stores linked information faster and more sustainably. However, the prerequisite for this is that the narrative arc is right and a dramaturgy is perceptible. Live communication can transmit stories through all senses and emotions and provides the perfect framework for it.

Today, people are searching for good stories and honest experiences. Events are the holistic supplier with the right story for the target audience—from the invitation to the communication after the event. Staged spaces create the tailored framework for the narrative, new technologies actively involve participants in the story.

Presentations are narratives

In most cases, the narratives are lectures or presentations. Regardless of the event formats one looks at, presentations are always at the center. Presentations of the old school have no place with the new character of live communication at events. They would simply destroy the overall picture of the event. Classical lecture methods are already put into question purely from a communication science perspective. It is well known that long frontal lectures do not stick in the mind, and it is a high art to captivate the audience for more than 20 minutes.

A new school of presenting can and will spur live communication. With moving presentations (which, by the way, will still mainly be held with PowerPoint) even digital natives can be engaged. In the future, events will be about conveying messages to people. Whether the purpose is to gain new customers or expand customer relationships. Or to demonstrate the latest findings in medical technology. Or to explain the automobile of the future. There will always be something presented.

Presentations can, when used correctly, also represent a central element at the exhibition stand. Some companies have been complementing the product area of the exhibition stand for years with their own stage, where—in the best case—great presentations are held. Presentations that are not only informative but also entertaining. In times of TED or other presentation formats, the expectation is naturally high, and companies are well-advised to deliver at the highest level here as well.

Lectures as a core element of live communication

Looking back at the past years in the industry, there have been ups and downs. Sometimes the focus was on digital channels, now it's going back again. The only constant that has been established not only over years but centuries in all types of events is the presentation. If companies master this form of communication, they create a tool that sets itself through every new trend and will always have a justification for existence. However, more will be needed than the classic PowerPoint slide battle with guided reading. Just like live communication overall, presentations must also be good stories that are told authentically and honestly and that move people. Because those who tell the best stories rule the world. Or indeed their market.