In Spain, Covid-era events depend on small gatherings, with tens or hundreds of attendees but rarely thousands.
Exclusive, intimate experiences with a made-to-measure content were already in use a year ago to reach a more demanding and harder to surprise audience, and the coronavirus has given this format a wider application.
New event formats to ensure security
Events in small groups: Many companies continue to hold face-to-face events with added health and safety protocols and fewer delegates; small meetings are the star format today. For example, GINEP held its annual congress in Alicante with 200 participants (agency: Meet & Forum). It was a good attendance, although far from the 500 guests who usually attend, hence the decision to stream the event from the Alicante Auditorium, whose spaciousness and high ceilings lent themselves to the format. The exhibition was also held, with 18 stands instead of the original 25.
AECOC, the association of manufacturers and distributors, chose the Valencia Conference Centre for its fruit and vegetable sector congress and simultaneous 35th annual general meeting. The two-in-one solution made it possible to hold both, although instead of lasting a day and a half, it was a four-hour event in the morning, with an intense programme.
Separation: For the launch of the Sportback, Audi organised an event in a container depot in Barcelona's Port Nou, including a concert by Bob Sinclair, for specialist journalists and influencers (agency: Grup Flaix). Guests and cars were separated into groups of two people, and both attendees and fans following from their homes could dance to Bob Sinclair’s music while the new models appeared in a light show, separated on small round stages; a creative application of the idea of separation.
Back-to-back: The same event run consecutively for different groups is an effective way to reduce crowds, while conveying the information and personalising the experience; back-to-back is often used in the automotive sector. BMW Track Days were aimed at a few customers to test the M range at the Jarama circuit. The sessions hosted 180 attendees over five days, who were grouped into 18 people per shift, with nine cars at their disposal on the circuit. While one group of cars was rolling on the track, the nine vehicles from the previous shift were disinfected. This reimagined the whole event, while reducing moments of contact to ensure safety.
Multi-site and roadshows: Another way to combine high attendance and safety is to split an event between several venues. For the 8th edition of BIME PRO, the Euskalduna Palace in Bilbao hosted the face-to-face element of this congress dedicated to festivals, alongside venues such as Sala BBK, La Ribera, Bilborock and Azkuna Zentroa. And Volvo Track launched new models through a hybrid streaming event, ending with a roadshow through its dealer network (Agency: O2 Communication).
Bubble events: In this format, after a medical examination and quick test, participants in an event isolate themselves from the rest of the world and the event becomes a bubble, where flow control is essential. The Motocross Grand Prix of Spain (agency: Lastlap) and the Titan Desert Almería 2020 (agency: RPM-MKTG) were runs as sealed events after some quick tests.
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M&IT editor Paul Harvey is a journalist with more than 15 years of experience. He began his career in the local press, working for various titles across the north. Since joining M&IT in 2013, he has become a trusted and respected voice in the sector, championing event professionals and reporting on all aspects of the events industry for the brand.
