This new year will not bring a new post-pandemic normal. Rather, 2021 will be the bridge to the new normal that will emerge in 2022, says Marie Hunter, senior director of meetings, conferences and events for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Hunter made the prediction in an insight-packed market analysis session during this fall’s virtual 2020 ASI Power Summit Live. The trade show/events space is a major end-market for promotional products sales that’s been radically altered as a result of COVID-19, and promo spend in the sector nosedived early last year. Nonetheless, the events industry still has need for promotional products.

Check out the entire interview between Andy Cohen, ASI Senior Vice President of Editorial & Marketing, and Marie Hunter of IEEE during ASI’s Power Summit Live.

Hunter is in charge of approximately 2,000 events annually for IEEE, most of which are typically held in-person at both domestic and international locations. But when COVID struck, just about any event IEEE wanted to host had to go virtual – a tectonic shift. “We pivoted to digital and pivoted very quickly,” said Hunter. “Virtual became the epicenter of the company.”

Some of the events went forward during their scheduled timeframe. Others – roughly 50% of the ones IEEE is still holding – were pushed to subsequent quarters. The events remain virtual, but Hunter noted that within the conference/trade show segment some hybrid (virtual and in-person) or very small-scale in-person events (20 people or fewer) are starting to occur.

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Hunter is hopeful that some IEEE events planned for the first quarter of 2021 will be at least partially in-person, but there’s a distinct possibility they’ll have to shift to virtual. It could be June 2021 before a large in-person IEEE event happens domestically – a timeline that yields insight into how other planners in the events industry could be forecasting. “There’s tremendous hunger to get back together in person,” said Hunter.

68% of event marketers say that a hybrid format will play a key role in 2021 event strategies. (Bizzabo)

Still, things won’t quite be the same. Virtual, said Hunter, is here to stay, but not necessarily to the detriment of in-person happenings. Rather, she thinks that hybrid, virtual and in-person events will coalesce into a more expansive industry as the new normal takes hold post-pandemic. “I have no fear of virtual,” she said. “It only makes events bigger and better.”

Long-term, that may be good news for promo products distributors who could find a broader array of events for which to provide branded merchandise and related solutions. Hunter advised distributors to plan now with event clients for the new normal while also offering creative solutions that meet planners where they are. “Partner with clients to understand their challenges and expand your offerings to help,” she said.

Some potential ideas: Come up with attractive merchandise that attendees want to buy, like the T-shirt they would have purchased if they were attending a festival like SXSW. “The exhibitor or organizer can pay for the item and the recipient could pay the shipping,” Hunter suggested.

Distributors can also provide merch for specific exhibitor-sponsored breakout sessions within larger virtual events. “The exhibitor could pre-ship an item like a hat or shirt to attendees,” said Hunter, “and everyone can wear them on the Zoom call.”