CEO picks up the pen: Game changer or gradual change?

Event Logic CEO Henrik Vallentin reflects on change.

Entrepreneur Benny Landa once said that everything that can become a digital service will eventually become a digital service. My assessment is that Landa is absolutely right. In some industries, including the taxi and music industries, the change has occurred through a concrete "industry game changer," where companies such as Uber and Spotify developed a product that fundamentally changed user behavior.

In other areas, it has been more of a process that, step by step, resulted in new approaches. When it comes to the event and meetings industry, there are strong indications that a paradigm shift is taking place right now. Since its inception, Event Logic has had the vision to challenge and change the way people plan, procure, and execute meetings and events. Over the years, a large number of players across many industries have left deeply rooted, time-consuming procedures behind -- in favor of more modern and efficient methods, together with Event Logic. We are proud of every simplification we have contributed to, but it would be presumptuous to claim that a "game changer" has been achieved. However, there is no doubt that a transformation from analog to digital is underway, at a higher pace than in a long time.

Lessons from 2020 and Thoughts Going Forward

A year has passed since we were all forced to fully embrace the possibilities the digital world had to offer. The coronavirus pandemic is of course still a reality, so even though it is tempting, it may be too early to draw any definitive conclusions about what it has taught us. That said, it is certainly possible to reflect on the matter.

As I mentioned, I believe that Benny Landa's vision of an increasingly digital world going forward is entirely correct. But that is not the same as saying that the majority of activities in the analog world will be replaced. It really is not more complicated than this: it is about quality and value. Analog solutions that take rather than give value will in all likelihood be consigned to the history books. Things that, on the contrary, make our lives better will of course continue to be used going forward. Let me illustrate these thoughts more concretely:

Execution

When it comes to the execution of meetings and events, I am fully convinced that the benefits of digital tools will continue to be embraced, even when we are eventually free to meet "as usual" again. At the same time, I am equally convinced that the physical meeting will often be favored and preferred. The fact that digital meetings have a bright future does not mean a long-term end to gatherings in real life. I would rather argue that the different meeting formats will coexist side by side and serve as excellent complements to each other. Logically, the purpose of the meeting will be the deciding factor. Spending half a day on transport to transfer information during a couple of hours of meetings will presumably seem less appealing than before, now that we know how well digital meetings actually work. Meetings aimed at deepening relationships or setting long-term strategies will most likely take place physically as soon as circumstances allow.

Planning & Procurement

If we instead turn our attention to the phase that precedes execution, I believe a somewhat more drastic change is ahead. When order is restored and we start meeting in person again, much -- but not everything -- will have changed. Sending hundreds of emails to participants and suppliers before an event will not be any less time-consuming and frustrating than it was before. Nor will it feel more inspiring to pick up the phone for the umpteenth time to inform about the latest change to the participant list. What the future has to offer can of course only be speculated about. But the following can be stated without any doubt:

Event Logic welcomes the tendencies toward change that are emerging and will continue to work for simple, smart, and controllable meeting planning.

With kind regards

Henrik Vallentin

Henrik Vallentin