By Shirish Nadkarni
Depressing though it may sound to enunciate this sentiment, COVID-19 is not going away any time soon. The virus that has already claimed millions of lives across the globe, in the same manner that the Spanish ’flu claimed the lives of 500 million people (at the time, one-third of the world’s population) in the years between 1918 and 1920, looks set to adversely affect our lives for some time until a positive and permanent weapon is found to combat its deadly wiles.
Business travel is bound to be adversely affected for a long time, with executives preferring digitally set-up meetings to face-to-face contact. Exhibitions and conferences will be equally affected, and many will either be cancelled or will go fully digital, even though it is a proven fact that much more business can be transacted in person than while sitting in front of an internet-driven camera and microphone.
Research conducted by IABM, the international trade association for broadcast and media technology, has highlighted how much the industry has missed the face-to-face contact that in-person events deliver. However, the industry has also adopted digital communications as a partial ‘workaround’ – the success of which is leading it to keep using this new way of working in future, alongside in-person, as part of a more efficient and eco-conscious approach, post the pandemic.
It came as no surprise to find that the industry body had been working for a while on a digital engagement platform and meeting place for the entire broadcast, media and entertainment industry. The BaM Zone was finally launched with minimal fanfare just days ago, in the last week of June 2021, but holds promise of being an important platform for regular communication within the broadcast, media and entertainment world.
“The BaM Zone is designed to be a destination where all IABM members, partners, stakeholders and subscribers can meet, exchange ideas, discuss trends and technologies, collaborate, and access the latest innovations in technology to help them do better business,” says IABM’s Head of Digital, Ben Dales, who is one of the driving forces behind the BaM Zone as well as the technology that underpins it.
The BaM Zone also offers the ability for participants to set up private meeting rooms, focus groups and even host their own events.
“Before the Coronavirus hit, the industry was already moving slowly but decisively towards continuous engagement in terms of how business was conducted – continuous development and delivery,” says Dales.
“The enforced instant move to digital events last March was a shock for many at first, but as we became used to it, it became clear that there was value in the ‘always-on’ potential of digital networking and communications, and that this wouldn’t just be dropped when in-person events and meetings became possible again.”
The idea for the BaM Zone really took hold in December 2020, following the success of IABM’s first ‘BaM Live!’ event. The association provided networking capabilities well beyond those seen in most other virtual events, and it was warmly embraced by attendees from both the vendor and buyer sides of the industry. From there, it was a logical next step to build the BaM Zone.
“Our research proved that, as a result of our initiatives to bridge the communications gap during lockdowns, IABM became one of the trusted global sources for the industry, BaM Live! events being a prime example,” Dales points out.
The BaM Zone builds on this and extends the collaborative, information-sharing spirit of those events into an ‘always on’ interactive platform for continuous engagement with all the facilities required for people to communicate and get together virtually.
“One of the things people most miss about in-person events is the opportunity to exchange ideas and increase their understanding of what’s happening – alongside of course seeing the latest and greatest technologies,” says Dales. “We envisage the BaM Zone as being the place to continue those interactions and engagements in the gaps between major international events such as IBC, NAB Show and CommunicAsia.”
IABM, it must be noted, supports member companies with a comprehensive range of services across market intelligence, training, technology, exhibitions and best practices – all designed to help them do business better. The association professes to hold the interests of member companies as paramount, and strives to provide strong guidance and support at every level in all geographies.
It would be of great interest for industry stakeholders to know how many major industry players have backed IABM’s BaM Zone initiative. Says Dales, “We have only just announced the BaM Zone, so it’s too early to have any proper feedback. But we have had many private conversations in advance of the launch with players from all sides of the industry, and I can say that they have all welcomed this initiative.”
Peter White, CEO of IABM, adds, “Business models are rapidly changing to continuous engagement – it naturally follows that relationships will move to being ‘always on’ as well. In-person regional events will, of course, continue to play a vital role as cadences within this continuum.
“The BaM Zone is conceived to continue those engagements throughout the year and in every geography.
“This is just the start – I see the BaM Zone as a ‘home’ for the industry – a social hub and communications platform that will develop and grow as people engage and discover the potential it can offer.
“As the Global Network for MediaTech, IABM’s mission is to connect and inform the worldwide MediaTech community; the BaM Zone plays perfectly to this ambition.”
There is a strong possibility that, once the COVID-19 pandemic is brought under control, and ends up being just another form of influenza that does not terrorise the world any more, there could be a strong return to face-to-face contact exhibitions and conferences, while digital communications take a back seat.
Or would future exhibitions be a fusion of digital and face-to-face?
“I don’t think you can cast digital communications as being the ‘backbone’ of events and conferences, but they will certainly become an equal partner,” Dales concludes.
“Digital will become an integral component which will engage a wider audience – those who are unable or unwilling to attend in person will have the chance to engage and find out what’s going on, what’s new and what’s hot in a way that they simply couldn’t in the past.
“So, yes – hybrid events are definitely the future, and the BaM Zone will have an important role to play in this.”