Forced digital advancements have allowed the events industry to reach audiences amid the global pandemic. Now, "hybrid" events combine the best of in-person and virtual formats: They offer engaging face-to-face connections and immersive online experiences that can compel previously inaccessible audiences.
New research from LinkedIn, based on interviews with more than 1,800 marketers across 13 countries, shows how rapidly things have changed. Of these, 85% had held a virtual event in the last year and 28% said that between 91-100% of their events are now virtual.
Although 75% of the marketers surveyed want to continue to host virtual events over a year from now, 78% said they wanted in-person events to return once it’s safe to do so. Despite this, the move towards completely in person events is tentative. Event marketers are anticipating that in the near future events will be 40% virtual, 36% in-person and 24% hybrid events that combine the best of both worlds.
As opposed to a one-time, face-to-face interaction, a digital live stream event environment delivers content to both live and on-demand audiences. This allows organisers to deliver the concept of the "continuous event" to generate ongoing engagement with a core audience even after the live event ends.
Several key events will be exploring this innovative new hybrid approach including London Fashion Week, London Wine Fair and Watches and Wonders in Geneva. Vital advancements in interactive video technology could see brands harness live stream shopping to connect businesses and consumers throughout their 2022 events and beyond.
London Fashion Week 2022
Running from Friday 18 to Tuesday 22, February, the event will be a physical-digital hybrid, with catwalk shows, presentations, appointments and events from over 131 designers.
This is not LFW's first hybrid event and certainly won't be the last. Advancements in live stream technology mean that viewers are given a front row seat to the shows from home. Events can be accessed via the website as this new, accessible and inclusive format has given emerging creatives a crucial platform to reach new audiences. As a result, hybridisation has made fashion week even easier to explore.
Last year, LFW explored interactive and shoppable video options with the luxury accessory brand, SEVDA LONDON. Presented by the British Fashion Council, the form of streaming commerce features women modelling the brands latest handbag release. The viewer can click on the products to find out more and the option to "SHOP" with the call-to-action. Consumers can also click to reveal the side bar that shows the whole collection to shop the video.
2022 could see LFW explore more immersive digital formats. Live stream shopping has been a highly talked about subject throughout 2021 and into 2022 with viewers tuning into their favourite designers in real-time to shop the hottest collections from streams. This conversational, entertaining channel not only connects designer brands with customers but creates a community for fashion enthusiasts to discuss, learn and engage.
Watches and Wonders Geneva 2022
From March 30th to April 5th 2022, the city will be the epicentre of the watchmaking world for the first physical edition of Watches and Wonders Geneva.
The event has been maintained digitally over the last two years and has confirmed how important gathering watch industry experts at the event can be in generating business and dialogue.
This year, W&W Geneva 2022 will have a hybrid format, with both a physical event, for those attending in Geneva, and a digital version, via the watchesandwonders.com platform. New product presentations, new launches, keynotes, panel discussions and talks can therefore be followed on-site, but also remotely, via the online platform, either live or in replay.
Almost 40 watch and jewellery Maisons representing the main industry players will be present. Alongside the prestigious brands and leading Maisons, the Carré des Horlogers will play host to 15 independent artisan-creators. Guests will have an opportunity to discover or rediscover each brand, by literally touching the exceptional pieces on show for the very first time.
The event poses a key opportunity for brands to utilise live stream shopping technologies. As a hybridised event, customers could shop in person and online with streaming commerce giving at home viewers a fantastic window to connect with the event and purchase exclusive pieces in real-time.
London Wine Fair 2022
The organisers of the London Wine Fair have revealed that 2022’s spectacle will take place as a hybrid event for the first time, with a combination of live and digital elements in May.
Retailers and brands will be able to buy, sell and discover wine, browse virtual stands by producer, importer, grape type, region and wine name and order samples to their door.
There will also be unmissable tastings and masterclasses. Plus, the intelligent AI-powered matchmaking platform ensures brands and consumers can make meaningful connections.
"We are now looking forward to this year being a real milestone both for The Fair, celebrating its 40th live event, but also in terms of how physical and virtual elements can dovetail to make a really ground-breaking event. From speaking with our exhibitors, we know there is a huge appetite for getting back to Olympia and back to normal trading and we look forward to delivering a really special 40th London Wine Fair in 2022.” Said Hannah Tovey, event director of London Wine Fair.
Live stream shopping experiences have the ability to transport consumers virtually to events. Brands can learn more about Winemakers and find their perfect product thus replicating the benefits of in person events, online with streaming commerce.
Updated: Oct 11, 2021
The hottest update for all things shoppable video this Autumn
This year, shoppable video content has taken the world by storm, whether through on-demand or live stream shopping functionalities. The buzz is continuing as we approach the final few months of 2021 with some key new developments from some of the biggest names in tech and Ecommerce.
We've put together some of the freshest, most important industry updates that will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on video content marketing strategy...
YouTube announces shoppable CTV ads
“To help consumers more easily learn about the products and services they’re interested in, we’re making YouTube ads on connected TVs more shoppable.”
120 million Americans streamed YouTube or YouTube TV from their TV screens in December 2020. As a result, the video-sharing platform is taking the opportunity to become more shoppable by bringing video action campaigns to connected television (CTV).
Viewers watching on CTV will be able to type in the displayed web link to their desktop or mobile device to access brand Ecommerce without leaving the content. Google's conversion lift tool will let advertisers measure the effectiveness of their campaigns in real time with the tool providing information on web visits and purchases.
Coresight's 1010 Live Shopping Festival to Connect Brands and Retailers in Real-time
Coresight Research will host its second annual 10.10 Shopping Festival on October 10th from 10am to 10pm ET in partnership with livestream shopping platforms, CommentSold and Smartzer, and 1:1 live video co-shopping platform, GhostRetail.
Smartzer's interactive video platform will be used globally by brands to introduce them to the rapidly expanding world of live stream shopping in the US.
Retailers such as Macy's, Guess, Vera Langley, Neighborhood Goods and many others are taking part in the event, bringing live shop technologies to the forefront of US video content marketing.
Retail Week Shifts Their Focus to Live Stream Shopping and The Key Impacts it Could Have on The Western World
As more retailers trial livestream shopping in the UK, Retail Week explores what it could do for Western retail and what can be learned from the Chinese phenomenon.
In 2020 livestreaming sales reached an estimated £129bn in China, according to research group iiMedia, now accounting for 20% of its ecommerce sales. Operating 24 hours a day, for three hours at a time, live shopping events sell anything from instant noodles to Gucci handbags and from holiday villas to plastic surgery.
The event will be from the 13-14th October in London, England. Key speakers will include: Adam Harris Global Head of Brand Partnerships ,Twitch, Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock Space scientist and broadcaster, Jo Fairley Co-Founder,Green & Black's, Kshitij Kumar Chief Data Officer ,Farfetch, Ken Murphy CEO,Tesco and many more. All will be discussing how to continue innovating and gaining consumer trust and spend in this new landscape.
The Luxury Innovation Awards 2021 is an essential event for anyone interested in the future of luxury (Jean-Christophe Babin, Group CEO, Bulgari).
With this years highly anticipated event scheduled for 21 October 2021 in Geneva, Switzerland, Smartzer's interactive video platform is being considered for the Technology, Digitalisation and Marketplace category.
Founded in 2019 by Deependra Pandey, the Luxury Venture Group aims to provide start-ups with pre-seed and seed investments. Activities like the LVG Bootcamp, Conferences and Luxury Innovation Award aim to strengthen and support LVG's ecosystem and its players.
The second ever Luxury innovation Summit will provide the perfect opportunity for start ups to learn, network and build their businesses. The intensive programme will explore a variety of topics and issues that are driving the future development of the luxury industry.
The conference will be attended by CEOS, directors, partners, and owners of luxury brands. Decision-makers, innovators, start-ups, investors, and creative leaders will join to discuss the next generation of the luxury and fashion industry. Key speakers and Jury Members will include:
Simone Cipriani, the founder and manager of Ethical Fashion Initiative, chairperson of the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, and a leading voice in the growing global movement for ethical supply chains. Speaker
Erwan Rambourg, Consumer Analyst, Author of Future Luxe. Speaker
Bénédicte Epinay, Director, Comité Colbert. Jury Member
Morin Oluwole, Director – Global Head of Luxury at Facebook and Instagram, will be a panellist at the Tech Panel
Jean-Claude Biver, the living legend of the Swiss luxury watch industry, is the Opening Keynote Speaker
Jean-Claude Biver, Former President of LVMH Watch Division
The prestigious, international jury will hand pick twelve finalists for 6 award categories:
Art and Culture
Watches, Jewellery, and accessories
Fashion and Design
Lifestyle, Beauty, and Travel
Responsibility and Sustainability
Technology, AI, Space, Data and Marketplace
These finalists will showcase their solutions in a live pitch at the Luxury Innovation Summit 2021.
With live stream shopping escalating in popularity across the globe, Smartzer has been recognised by the awards as a key player in the rise of digital and new media platforms, helping brands to adapt to a new tech-hungry luxury customer. According to a Coresight Research survey, 39.7% of consumers use live stream shopping to look for an exclusive deal, 38.2% to discover new products, 36.6% to learn more about new products, and lastly 30.7% because the buying is exciting. With more of us shopping online, it is no wonder that our expectations for a more engaging, entertaining shopping experience are as high as ever.
Fascinating digital advancements mean that anything is possible for luxury brands in 2021. With the Luxury Innovation Awards, ingenious, emerging tech start-ups are given the crucial opportunity to impress brands and shape a new, more advanced future.
Watch this space! 🤞