Events Have Changed... But Are You Still Living in 2019?

When organizing events, I often work with people from marketing or HR departments. Usually, these are experts in their fields who have a clear vision of what they want from an event. Unfortunately, many of them don't fully grasp today's labor market reality.

Things have changed dramatically--especially after COVID. In the past, services in this industry were more affordable. But during the pandemic, our sector took one of the hardest hits. Many professionals had to retrain or left the service industry altogether. That left fewer providers in the market. Those who stayed now struggle to meet demand. Naturally, prices have gone up--it's a simple case of supply and demand. Add in the rising costs of energy, food, and other essentials, and we're left with a basic equation: if you paid X amount for an event before COVID, you're now looking at 1.5 to 2 times that.

This puts pressure on companies trying to organize events. Their budgets aren't unlimited either. That's why we often hear things like, "If you won't do the event for this price, your competitor will!"

The most interesting stories happen in that space of trust. One client wanted us to organize an event a certain way. We declined--not because we didn't want to--but because we believed that, based on their budget, the event wouldn't deliver the desired results. We aim for long-term cooperation that benefits both sides. I'm proud to say that no client who started working with us has ever walked away. That's because we never treat an event as a one-off profit opportunity. It's a strategic partnership: how many events, in what form, and with what goals?

Especially with business events, broader thinking is essential. It's not just about good food, drinks, or performers. The cheapest offer isn't always the best. These days, we're leaning more into digitalization--we want to measure results. Which speaker resonated most? What topics drew the most interest? How can analytics improve future content?

All of this takes time--and, most of all, trust between client and organizer. This is a complex field made of many moving parts. We work with specialists from various industries. And unfortunately, these behind-the-scenes skills aren't taught in business school--you gain them only through experience. Especially now, as digitalization opens new dimensions and opportunities for events.

More and more clients are choosing to record their events, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive--participants can revisit the content even after the event is over. These channels can also be used to collect additional data and develop more content.

Sadly, many clients still aren't aware of these options. Some fear hybrid events-- they worry people won't attend in person. But they're not thinking about the wider reach online events can offer. Or the increase in ticket sales that can follow.

Let me share an example from Croatia. A client from the finance sector initially wanted to hold a live event at a university. After discovering our company, he decided to add a hybrid component. But once he calculated the total cost and the challenges of a physical event, he opted to go fully online. The result? Four times more attendees than he had projected for the in-person version. The financial outcome was better, and the sponsors were thrilled.

So, I invite you to start thinking differently about events. Yes, live gatherings are still a vital part of business--but modern digital technology offers entirely new ways to introduce fresh ideas and business models.