If the pandemic taught the world anything, it's that people can do a lot of business without being in the same room. Video calls substituted for meetings, virtual conferences supplanted expos for entire industries, and an all new way of operating emerged as the new default mode of interaction. In other words, when in-person business events were infeasible for over a year, it made sense they'd never come back—who has the time and money for all of that when a video call will do? Yet as restrictions have eased, organizations have re-launched the ability to bring groups of people together.

Even with digital alternatives that work (mostly), in-person business events have returned, and organizations are more willing than ever to reinvest time and money into such endeavors again. This is not a nostalgia kick or a play to bring back the old days, but rather, tangible outcomes created by live events that a virtual forum can never replicate.

Trust Can Be Built Only Face-to-Face

It's hard to establish trust through a screen. While video calls are fine for established relationships or transactional business, when companies want to strengthen strategic partnerships or cultivate new ones, it's best face-to-face.

The mere fact that people are in the same room together provides an unspoken bond to build trust more quickly than any formalized video call ever could. That chit-chat before the panel starts, that random on-the-spot discussion during the lunch break, that dinner where people can share personal stories that run into business talk. These moments create a level of connection that operates outside the time constraints (and bells and whistles) of a scheduled video call.

For companies looking to strengthen client relationships or forge new partnerships, well-executed in-person events remain one of the most effective tools available. This is why professional conference management in Singapore and other locations, continues to see demand from businesses that understand the strategic value of bringing stakeholders together physically.

It's clear companies possess this awareness, too. When money is at stake and decisions will cost people money or time, executive decision-makers still want to meet in person to discuss the parameters before putting pen to paper. Reading body language and real-time reactions means something; catching someone in-between said questions during an off-the-cuff chat has its own merit.

Memorable Experiences

There is no retention for virtual events. Someone logs on for an hour, maybe half listens while checking email, and within days they've forgotten most of what was discussed. However, in-person events create memorable experiences simply based on the level of engagement that's required.

People are physically required to be somewhere at a certain time, without distractions, within a space that's different from their remote working locations. Attendees cannot type on their laptops during a keynote; they're asked to verbally engage on-the-spot. The mere fact that this time frame could have been an hour meeting during the day, yet is set aside for an alternative purpose, provides a unique value that few other situations allow.

Memorable events also benefit from production elements lost virtually. Important venues, catered meals, seamless logistics and professional staging create an experience that warrants equity. These added elements signal to attendees that whoever sponsored the event possesses value for their time and has also, somehow, reinvested in doing something worthy and impressive.

It's Not About the Content, But the Non-Content

For many attendees, the least valuable proposition relative to business events comes from the actual panels or workshops offered within the context of a business event. The most value comes from added opportunities—the "Hello, how are you?" at the coffee break, the "Glad we met at the lunch networking opportunity," the "Hey, let me introduce you while we wait for the next session."

True connections happen outside the content structure as people feel comfortable enough from casual engagements to speak about projects and resources. Someone mentions a pain point their company has; another attendee happens to know an answer. Someone tosses out a name; another has a connection—all of which was never mentioned on the agenda but will ultimately be touted by someone as their highest takeaway of the event.

Virtual events try to create some version of this with breakout rooms or chat options but it seems forced and awkward. It's not as easy for people to organically connect in virtual breakout rooms as it is while standing in line waiting for their coffee. The friction is enough to prevent this from happening organically most of the time.

Intentions Demonstrating Value and Culture Building

When senior leadership feels it's worthwhile to bring its employees or partners together for something in person, it's safe to say that relationship-building and culture matter enough to facilitate dedicated time and resources outside of day-to-day operational requirements.

This is especially important for remote teams. Video calls are excellent for daily operational alignment efforts; however, they do not promote shared experiences or interpersonal connections as effectively as quarterly or annual in-person gatherings that weekly video calls will never achieve.

When this happens with client-facing endeavors as well, it's clear that something beyond transactional engagement values relationships to foster good intent and loyalty; it's different from its virtual counterpart.

The Attention Economy

Most importantly, there has been a never-ending challenge to capture someone's attention. Attention spans are waning, distractions are everywhere, and since everyone is one click away from anyone else through their screens, it's far easier than ever to ignore what could've otherwise been valuable in real life.

In-person events create a unique space where attention can be devoted solely to what's going on. For a day—or longer—people get disconnected from their personal digital environments, meaning what's occurring within a designated physical space is valuable enough to facilitate communication more quickly than what could ever happen via a digital call strung along over the course of several weeks.

It's not about whether digital communication will one day replace in-person efforts; it's about knowing when one is more appropriate than the other. Video calls work wonders for updates and maintaining established relationships; however, there is no substitute for creating something memorable focused on strategic relationship goals. For companies that understand this, well-executed in-person events boast benefits no all-virtual competitor could ever claim.