PCMA survey revealed almost two-thirds (60 per cent) of planners will only travel within their own country for a business event in 2020, while 10 per cent would travel to another country in APAC. Photo Credit: Getty
SINGAPORE — Event planners across APAC are struggling to monetise
hybrid events amid ongoing travel restrictions, according to a
recent survey conducted by the Professional Convention Management
Association (PCMA).
The research, conducted in July, surveyed 531 event industry
professionals — 342 planners and 189 suppliers — across Australia, New
Zealand, Southeast Asia, China, Korea and Japan.
Forty-one per cent of planners believe smaller and regional events
will come back sooner than larger international events, while 27 per
cent believe small in-person events will need to go hybrid, and large
events wholly digital.
The survey revealed most business event planners have no intention of
travelling any time soon with almost two-thirds (60 per cent) of
planners saying they would only travel within their own country for a
business event in 2020, while 10 per cent would travel to another
country in APAC.
Suppliers, meanwhile, seem more willing to travel, with 48 per cent
saying they would only travel in their own country, 17 per cent would
travel within APAC and 22 per cent would go anywhere, "if it was worth
it".
PCMA APAC managing director, Karen Bolinger, said while some results
were predicted, the real impact of Covid-19 on business revenue is
"distressing".
"The suppliers have taken a bigger financial hit, with 66 per cent of
suppliers noting a decline greater than 75 per cent in revenue,
compared to 52 per cent of planners. This is a massive impact and shows
the vulnerability of many of the companies that deliver events," she
said.
Nevertheless, the recovery in China is a major indicator for the
future growth of business events in the region. "The research reveals that the
Chinese are expecting ‘pent-up demand’ for face-to-face events, hence
predicting a stronger recovery in 2021 compared to the rest of APAC,"
Bolinger said.
“Not surprisingly, both planners and suppliers need new skills to
survive in a post-Covid economy. The survey revealed the educational and
skills-based training needed right now, and these results are helping
to shape the educational programme PCMA is rolling out across APAC.
“It is clear that the hybrid delivery of events, both large and
small, will be with us for a long time, however, we need to ensure the
entire event ecosystem is taken along for the journey,” she said.
PCMA will conduct further research in the APAC region over the coming months.
The survey executive summary can be viewed here: https://www.pcma.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/APAC-Recovery-Dashboard-Survey.pdf?utm_source=pardot&utm_medium=email&utm_term=organic&utm_content=apac-survey&utm_campaign=covid-19