How has COVID-19 directly impacted your exhibit-marketing program?
Intel announced no participation in physical events through the end of 2020. We are focused on supporting several digital events throughout the year, which is very exciting, and we're working with our sales teams on how best to thoughtfully engage with our customers and partners. And by "we," I mean not so much our exhibit-marketing program but our event-marketing program. There's a lot of innovative thinking right now, and it's very refreshing. The digital landscape is vast opportunity for innovation. The about-face pivot from face-to-face to digital is an inflection point. It's an opportunity to fully imagine and produce new, meaningful, memorable digital experiences.

What steps are you currently taking to mitigate these impacts?
I'm on my own crash course of learning best practices in digital. Content must be rich and "snackable." The story and storytellers must be compelling, authentic, and emotional. We've developed an internal playbook to support our teams across the company. This is a good baseline to align and communicate internally. We're living history! How often do we get to experience such an opportunity to write a new chapter in the marketing book? I find it invigorating!

Which of these impacts is the one that most keeps you up at night?
Honing my program-management skills to become a great virtual-event program manager and experiential producer. It's nearly the same skill set, but our general contractor is now the virtual-event platform, and we're managing content and tech teams. The virtual experience relies on the robustness of the platform and the technical-support team, plus rich, snackable content. Audiences do not have the patience for technical glitches, so the experience must be seamless – prerecorded in most cases – and on-demand.

Has your workload increased, decreased, or stayed the same?
My workload has increased. My total three-hour commute time has been replaced with extra time to work. I've learned to balance my mornings eating a healthy, light breakfast; prioritizing projects and deliverables; and focusing on my overall wellness. By wellness, I mean taking the time to exercise, hydrate, and walk outside to clear my mind and get fresh air. I don't know about you, but I'm spending more time sitting than ever, and that's not good. I'm getting on my bicycle and going on 30-plus-mile rides several times a week. For me, this is a time of resilience, of learning new skills and making sure my mental and physical states are sharp and nimble. The positive side of shelter in place for me has been time to exercise, time to make healthy meals, and time to practice patience and becoming a better human.

In the absence of trade shows and events, what strategies and tactics are you using to achieve objectives such as generating leads, increasing brand awareness, promoting new products, etc.?
We're focused on building templates and playbooks for virtual events that support the business and customer outreach. We're also participating in various virtual industry events as approved and using social media as another tool to quickly connect with key audiences.

Has the absence of trade shows and live events impacted how your company's upper management perceives their value?
My impression is yes, the perception is highly valuable. At the same time, we see the power to connect digitally and the untapped potential to increase the quality of digital engagement. Digital won't replace physical. The goal is to connect with our customers and the media face-to-face in a safe manner when it's officially allowed.

But we also see the value of connecting digitally. That's a growing opportunity – to enhance the value of digital engagement.

When you think about managing your program during the next 12 months, what concerns you the most, and why?
Keeping audiences engaged and informed to participate in our digital events. Everyone's inboxes are full, and we're online more than usual. I'm concerned about video conference call delirium or exhaustion from so many webinars and online events. Thus, the three key points from the previous question are priorities: Keep it compelling, precise, and brief.

As we're all WFH, on calls and looking at our illuminated screens, a few key elements become priorities for virtual events. We eat with our eyes – my mantra for events, even before Instagram – thus: 1) crisp, compelling content is critical, 2) precise articulation of the message is important, and 3) brevity is our friend. In 1962, John F. Kennedy's "We Choose to Go the Moon" speech compelled the nation to support the Apollo program in just 17 minutes and 48 seconds. At home, we're one click away from a distraction. The virtual experience is magnified ever more as it's all on-screen. Sensory elements as beautiful audio and visuals can make the digital experience a richer one for our virtual attendees. As we launch virtual events, we want to put these BKM's into practice.

How do you think your face-to-face marketing program will change in light of the pandemic?
I think we'll have a hybrid model where a virtual component will always be a part of the physical event. And there should be consideration for creating an attendee journey that is continuous, before, during, and after the event. Face-to-face marketing programs are forever changed. They won't and can't be the same.

How do you think the future of face-to-face will change as a result of this pandemic?
We'll have new safety guidelines and procedures, as well as new experiences. September 11th changed the flying experience, and COVID-19 will change our social experiences. We'll need to be more cautious, adhere to new rules, stay home at any sign of illness, etc. but we'll adapt, as always. This is not a new normal, but rather a continuous awareness of society engaging in new ways. Humanity shall persevere!

How optimistic are you that shows you've regularly attended will return once the pandemic is over?
I'm living and working each day in the moment, and each day brings different news and new opportunities to innovate. I think we need to remain agile and open to new thinking and new ways of connecting. Some shows will not return, and others will evolve. They must evolve. We can't return to the past, and we must use this opportunity to evolve the face-to-face experience to one that's an invitation-only (perhaps), rich, premium experience. This is an inflection point across all industries. It's a great time for innovation, new services, new opportunities, and personal growth.

How optimistic are you that suppliers you've regularly worked with will still be in business once the pandemic is over?
I'm optimistic suppliers will use this time to innovate and bring new products and services to market. It's fascinating to see how convention centers have been utilized as temporary hospitals to care for the ill. The same goes for hotels and other industry suppliers. They've stepped up to help society in this moment. It's wonderful to see that. At the same time, my inbox is full of 3-D virtual trade show booths and show floors. Personally and professionally, I've been there, and I don't want to go there again. People want to learn about new products and connect. The booths don't matter in this context. It's time to pioneer new experiences!

What lessons have you learned from this COVID crisis that may benefit your program moving forward?
Visual storytelling is the most important skill to hone and perfect. It's how we digest content, news, entertainment, and more. Delivering the digital experience in chapters or episodes of compelling content is important. Digital experiences should follow the Hollywood rule of leaving the audiences wanting more. And from the food industry, the experiences should be snackable, and the content should be able to be sliced and diced to be shared across several platforms. Episodic. Engaging. Immersive. Snackable.

Read more interviews with exhibit managers coping with COVID-19.