There is always a silver lining to everything, even in the most difficult of times. And that’s true of today, when many of us found ourselves working from home. We should appreciate the fact that modern technology allows us to do a lot of what we want remotely. In the past four months, we adapted ourselves to optimize our relationship with our members, installers and integrators, trying to bring as much benefit as we can to everyone. One point of focus was our webinar program. While in the past we would have maybe one webinar a month, since April we have been running one webinar a week, mostly with our members, but also with other experts in the industry.
Since then, our registration and attendance numbers were surprisingly high! We received amazing feedback from attendees, and even with the opening of the market in many countries (particularly in Europe), many are watching the recording of the webinars whenever they have a chance.
This new reality has opened a whole new chapter on how we can interact with our members, installers and integrators. Not only webinars, but also online events, when we have a chance to catch up on the latest news and products in the market, and also interact with some of the top players in the world. In a recent article, Forbes indicated that virtual events are up 1,000% since the beginning of COVID-19!
The rAVe’s LAVNCH WEEK, for example, has been a successful online event. The Alliance took part in the second one they held in June, where we were able not only to discuss the benefits of Spec 3.0, but also clarify issues regarding hybrid installations (HDBaseT & IP) during a live debate with top players in the market. Many companies realized the value of launching new products and discussing new opportunities online. Samsung, for example, launched its latest outdoor displays – The Terrace, with very positive response from the market. The ultimate word to describe how to do marketing (and business!) right now is to ADAPT. Some companies have decided to go ahead with their plans, and others have even accelerated their projects to address the needs of the market.
Even though we do not see things going back to “normal” anytime soon, we are adapting, and trying to make the most out of it. In fact, it’s unlikely that the new ‘normal’ will be identical to the old one anyway. Will we be back to in-person, live events? Probably. In a blog post, Forrester® indicated that live events will eventually be back– there is a lot of value to face-to-face networking (hopefully without the need for a mask), but until then, we can still gain a lot with the many online options we have at our disposal. Are they flawless? Nope, but neither are live events – we all had our hiccups in the past. We can just as easily overcome any online glitches. As we interact online with Alliance members, installers & integrators, we can address any questions they may have, or discuss relevant topics, or send them collaterals to clarify any issues they may raise. In a way, being online opens a whole new range of possibilities on how we interact and respond to their needs.
COVID-19 has led to some major changes in how we conduct business (and life) in general, and it’s up to us to leverage all we’ve learned to continue going forward towards continuous success. There will always be glitches and setbacks, but rather than seeing them as barriers, we should see them as steppingstones towards even more ambitious goals.
We invite you to join us at the CEDIA EXPO online event, which will take place on September 15-17. Make sure to browse the HDBaseT booth to learn more about Spec 3.0, product demos, live interactions with our team, and more. Don’t miss our Tech-Bites sessions, and join us at the CEDIA Deathmatch: Video Transport Technologies panel discussion on Tuesday, Sept. 15th, 4:00 pm – 4:50 pm EST, to understand the different technologies in the market and how to make the right choice in your installations.