Speaker: Rob Davidson The international conference market is changing rapidly in the face of sweeping technological, demographic, geopolitical and economic trends – to which we may now add the challenge presented by the global health crisis engendered by the spread of the Coronavirus. These changes are creating important qualitative and quantitative shifts in the demand for, and supply of, conference services - including interpretation. My presentation will explore these key trends in the international conference market and will examine their consequences for the conference interpreting profession.

1. D r . R o b D a v i d s o n
C o n f e re n c e
Tre nds i n a
Po s t -C ov id - 19
Wo r l d
# m i c e k n o w l e d g e

2. MICE
•Meetings
•Incentive Travel
•Conferences
•Exhibitions
#miceknowledge

3. More
destinations
and venues
for MICE
events
MICE trends before the pandemic
More
professionalis
m in the MICE
industry
More use of
technology
More concern
for
sustainability
issues
More
international
conferences,
but smaller on
average
More active
roles for
participants

4. Recovery:
Three phases,
depending on risk
level:
1. Conferences forbidden. Widespread cancellations /
postponements
2. Conferences permitted, but with social-distancing and
strict hygiene measures
3. Conferences return to their recognisable, pre-pandemic
form ?

5. Conferences
The pace of recovery will depend
partly on consumer confidence.
First local, then national, then
international.
Destinations that have performed
well in controlling the pandemic
may be more attractive as
conference destinations.
Demand may be driven by the need
for greater international cooperation
in the post-pandemic world.
Many conferences will go hybrid.

6. Hybrid conferences
#miceknowledge

7. Hybrid conferences (‘blended’ conferences)
• “A face-to-face meeting in which an online audience also
participates".
• Expanding the scope of the conference through an
interactive live broadcast of the event, to reach a wider
audience. Can also include remote speakers.
• Both the physical and the online audience participate in
the same experience or content at the same time, from
different locations
#miceknowledge

8. Hybrid conferences
• Associations are increasingly making their captured
conference content available for on-demand access.
Copyright issues.
#miceknowledge

9. Telepresence -holographic projection technology
#miceknowledge

10. Telepresence - holographic projection technology
• Increasingly being used by conference
organisers to beam in big-name speakers
from all over the world
• They may be beamed live onto the stage, or
they can be pre-recorded
• French presidential candidate, Jean-Luc
Mélenchon appeared in seven events
simultaneously
#miceknowledge

11. Extension of the conference experience
• More emphasis on the participant journey.
• Conference planners see this as ‘a continuum of sustained
engagement throughout an extended event lifecycle’.

12. Fragmentation of the conference experience
• Conferences are becoming LESS proclamatory (‘the sage on
the stage’) and MORE participatory and interactive.
• More new, flexible, conference formats – ‘campfire sessions’,
etc.
• Live audience feedback for speakers.
• ‘Off-programme’ side-discussions among participants
• The growth in importance of the conference mediator /
facilitator

13. Less of this

14. More of this

15. More of this

16. More of this

17. Less of this

18. More of this

19. More concern for
environmental
issues
Less
extravagance
The lastingimpacts of the pandemic
More concern for
corporate social
responsibility
issues
More
competition
from technology
Theconferenceindustrywill needto makeastrong casefor face-to-facemeetings, based ontheunique
advantages ofMICEeventsandthelimitations ofonlineevents

20. Online OR Face-to-face ?
Saves time
Less impact on the environment
Less risk from travelling
BUT
Technical problems
Confidentiality problems
No body language
Time zones differences
Attention problems
Fatigue
Best for keeping the attention of participants
- To launching a new strategic direction for the
company
- To launching a new product
Best for inspiring a positive emotional climate
- To energise staff
- To celebrate company/individual successes
Best for building human networks and relationship
- To develop trust and transparency

21. Thank you, and good luck!
rob@miceknowledge.com
# m i c e k n o w l e d g e

22. QUIZ TIME !
• 1. The ‘I’ in MICE means …. ?
• 2. A famous poem dedicated to a mouse was
written by the national poet of which country?
• 3. Mouse (singular), Mice (plural). Which other
word in English, ending in ‘–ouse’, forms its plural
in the same way?
CALL: +44 7939 106748