The whole By Kadrance Cercles team sends you its best wishes and wishes you an excellent year! To start 2021, we wanted to share with you an update on the state of events in 2021 and on the challenges the sector will face in the coming years.  

A sector already weakened by repeated societal crises in recent years 

The events sector could have done without another major crisis. In just a few years, terrorist attacks, the yellow vests crisis and repeated strikes had already considerably weakened the sector, particularly in Paris. The pandemic comes as yet another blow for the events sector. This time, it will be harder to get back up. The halt of events in 2020 is said to have caused a loss of 3.4 billion euros for the Île-de-France region. 

What sets this crisis apart is certainly its global nature. Its scale far exceeds the Parisian demonstrations suffered by the events sector (and many others) a few months ago. To illustrate the dramatic consequences of the crisis, the World Tourism Organization compared it with previous global events that had already disrupted the sector. After the SARS epidemic, the UNWTO estimated that a return to normal took 9 months. After the September 11 attacks, it took 11 months, and after the 2008 economic crisis, recovery came only after 19 months. Again according to the UNWTO, it will take the tourism sector 36 months to overcome the Covid-19 crisis and hope for a recovery. Some professionals even believe recovery could only come after 2024: 

Another indicator can guide professionals as to a possible full recovery of events in 2021: the estimate of the CEO of Aéroports de Paris. According to Augustin de Romanet, a return to normal air traffic will not happen before 2024, or even 2025. 

The outlook for events in 2021

With forecasts that take us quite far into the future, it is hard to hope for a recovery of events at the start of 2021. Let us be realistic: the first half of the year should once again be devoted almost exclusively to 100% digital events. 50 large-scale trade shows that were due to take place before August 2021 in Paris have already been cancelled. 

Another phenomenon should continue to show itself: the change in how events professionals work, which could lead to a loss of skills in some areas. Maîtres d’hôtel and waiters, whom we have been unable to employ for almost a year, have in many cases had to reinvent themselves and look for work in new sectors. Will they be there for the recovery? Professionals who are experts in their field may well have changed career in the meantime. It will then be up to organisers to find solutions to guarantee their clients the same level of quality as before the crisis. 

Event venues, however, see the horizon brightening thanks to some of these changes. The growth of remote working is prompting many companies to genuinely reflect on the need to keep physical offices. If these offices were to disappear, their needs for event seminar venues should grow. 

Events: a resilient sector 

Despite these repeated blows, the events sector is still standing. Digital was able to take over during this period and some were able to keep up an activity, even a reduced one. Admittedly, this start to the year is not as dynamic as we could have imagined, but the coming months should be kinder. Vaccination will no doubt allow us to meet again before long. The French need to be together again, whether among friends or colleagues. Small seminars will soon resume, even if we will have to wait longer for large-scale events. 

Until then, the By Kadrance team is being patient and wishes to show its solidarity with its clients and partners. We will give brands and advertisers the time they need to regain financial health and we will welcome them again by offering solutions adapted to their new needs. Solidarity and adaptation will let us move forward and get through this together.

The By Kadrance Cercles took part in creating a movement, La CLÉ, which brings together events professionals with the aim of grouping together among experts and acting in solidarity to overcome the trials of recent months.  

It is already time to think about 2022!

As a return to normal is not expected for 2021, we need to focus on the future and imagine what our events will look like in 2022. The spread of digital could put an end to certain types of events.

Will training still take place in person? We can imagine many courses will be held exclusively online, and this risks causing the closure of many training venues. As for meetings, only those that deliver strong, essential content for the company will be held in person; for the rest, digital will certainly take over. Internal seminar venues are likely to be the hardest hit because their content can be broadcast online. Companies will then need venues to welcome their clients, prospects and the general public. For these events, being in person remains essential to companies’ economic development.  

As long as air traffic has not returned to its usual pace and the population is not immunised against the virus, events will remain modest in size. We will then turn to friendlier moments, but also increasingly high-quality ones with a digital touch. Since the digital aspect is only one component, albeit an essential one, we are convinced that physical events will keep an important place. With the notion of digital already accepted by many, we need to think further and focus today on how to obtain the best ROI while addressing Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility issues. 

Events in 2021 should therefore still suffer many consequences of the health crisis.

The resumption of large-scale events can be envisaged with time (large trade shows and festivals are not expected to resume before 2022), and will require adapting to the public’s new expectations, with strong and relevant commitments.

On the other hand, since the start of 2021, we have seen an increase in requests for small-group physical events. As soon as event venues reopen, perhaps in spring, small events of 10 to 30 people will resume fairly quickly with strict compliance with the health protocol, such as seminars, lunches, executive committee meetings, conferences and showrooms. A more dynamic recovery is expected in September, still in small formats of up to 100 people. These meetings will then be more recurrent, higher-quality and combined with digital for a more CSR-friendly event (limiting travel).