Innovation is the word on everyone’s lips at Niavac.
The pandemic brought about many surprises. We couldn’t have predicted the strange benefits which came from a year in lockdown. We spent more time in nature, developed new hobbies and reconnected with family and friends. Another unexpected benefit of the pandemic was the massive reduction of in-person meetings, events or conferences which were often financially demanding, tiresome and required people to travel long distances.
This is where Niavac rose to the occasion, constantly innovating to provide solutions to these modern problems. As a result, Niavac launched its state-of-the-art bespoke Virtual Studio last year. Yet, with all its success, several questions came to the surface; would there always be a need to replace in-person conferences? Will everyone go back to the way it was before? Was this huge investment worthwhile, or will it be cast aside as normality returns?
On a logistical scale, huge in-person events may indeed be back on the cards in the near future. With the masses allowed to socialise in close contact again, a return to the conference halls and function rooms seem likely. However, the appetite for a complete bounce back is not necessarily there yet. The convenience, environmental and financial benefits of virtual events are appealing for many businesses.
At Niavac, we have seen first-hand that there is still a desire for an element of the “virtual” in corporate events and this isn’t going away any time soon. Welcome to the new format of “Hybrid” conference provision.
In June 2021 we provided AV for Lanyon Group as part of their hybrid conference for medicine hub Dataworks (part of Kings Hall Life Sciences). Their event integrated elements of the virtual studio as well as traditional AV events technology. The conference made use of our Absen LED wall to bring remote participants to the big screen for seamless engagement with in-person attendees. This event fully integrated both virtual guests and participants attending live in a safe and contained conference set up.
We are pleased to say this bore no negative effect on either group. Instead, both in-person and remote guests enjoyed the unique ability to communicate and engage in the conference from their preferred location – something which was unheard of before.
We welcome this blend of the physical and the virtual. We’re always looking ahead at Niavac and with recent hybrid events like the Lanyon Group conference, we’re asking ourselves – is this the future of events?
