Virtual events require more planning genius, not less.
observation — attributed to Steve Gottlieb
Gottlieb's read on virtual events inverts the common assumption. People expected virtual to be cheaper and easier than in-person. The actual requirement is more planning genius, more creative effort, more inventiveness to make the experience worthy of the participants' time. The shift from in-person to virtual eliminates the inherent serendipity of bodies in a room. The producer has to design back in what physical proximity gave for free. Virtual events that under-invest in planning produce the kind of forgettable webinars that taught people to leave their cameras off and check email. Virtual events that over-invest produce experiences in-person events cannot match.
For corporate event leads, agency producers, and platform clients thinking about virtual event budgets. The observation is most useful as an argument against the cheap-substitute framing of virtual.
virtual-events, planning, creative-effort, expectations