On 16/Apr/20 10:31, Neil J. McRae wrote:
> There is no doubt about the fact that we're heading into one of the biggest
> global turndowns, some economists estimating 20% - the banking crisis was
> 3.4% by comparison.
>
> We've been lazy on collaboration and frankly well over invested. I know of
> few other industries that has the volume of face to face meetings that ours
> has (even Pharma and that industry makes real money!). I don't go in person
> to that many events anymore because all you get it the same old content over
> and over again. And anything that’s new you can, these days, for most big
> meetings jump on the webcast or watch it on youtube afterwards.
>
> But for a minute forget money, forget travelling, thinking of output:
>
> In several standards areas we are already seeing a significant improvement on
> quality and speed of output as more things switch to almost a Ci/CD real time
> type approach rather than waiting for some meeting three months away where
> the output is significantly less valuable and often watered or compromised
> downwards.
>
> Whether or not the money exists, the simple fact is that much more is getting
> done in many of these meeting driven bodies now day by day in the short space
> of a month than in the old model that hasn't changed in twenty years. I
> totally disagree with Denesh's point on the powers that be not caring,
> frankly that’s total nonsense in my view.
>
> There is a primary concern also, irrespective of money, some folks simply
> won't want to travel any more, many companies and organisations will need to
> think carefully about their staff travelling both from a wellbeing point of
> view and from a liability point of view, and as a wider business risk.
>
> No organisation is going to able to ignore ensuring that their events are
> remote participant inclusive in a much bigger way than has been in the past.
>
> If you think that next year all will be the back to the same old then I think
> you are kidding yourself on.
>
> I play videogames and pinball all over the world, all of our events have
> pretty much been written off until next year. So on the pinball font since we
> once though being in the room together was a mandatory requirement, now that
> we can't we're breaking through the barriers that stopped that being the case
> and held two trial events online that were fantastic, pinball is probably the
> most archaic anti-new technology hobby you can be involved in but if they can
> do it well - it's time for our industry to do the same and figure out what
> the things are that we are going to miss and figure out ways of minimising
> that or coping with it, because it's going to be very much the new norm.
Totally agree with Neil, on all points.
All industries (including ours) are affected in a singular way - the
old, traditional models were already dying, but the Coronavirus
accelerated and amplified that death spiral. If you are not looking to
pivot your models in some way or other, you will be shocked when we
return to the #NewNormal where you expected to continue "business as usual".
All it takes is for one person/company to execute a new model that
offers value to users, and then you have exponential follow-on in the
expectations of users to the usefulness and convenience of that model.
That is a train that you cannot stop, as hard as many will try to.
Mark.
