We've seen the rise in popularity of webinars, a lot of conferences are increasingly offering live-streaming options or video recordings of their presentations. On the horizon is possible disruption from virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). Will people in the future put on a pair of Oculus Rifts and attend virtual conferences? Is the live conference soon dead?
I don't believe so.
At SimCorp, we continue to host a range of live local and global conferences for the investment management industry. Of course we could live-stream or record all the presentations, but the presentations are only one aspect of live events. For me, the most important aspect of events is the networking and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing that goes on.
This offers priceless insights into how your fellow peers and experts operate, and in such a niche area as our own, where finance meets technology, this is valuable.
I remember last year after I attended our International User Community Meeting (IUCM) in Copenhagen, my reflection after the event was just how amazing it was to see so many people interacting, from the C-level, to technical guys, to partners, to industry analysts – the value of having everyone in one place and giving ample time to talk and meet each other is really where the value comes.
Long live the conference
I for one don't see live conferences dying out any time soon, and in actual fact I think a lot of people are reconsidering the value of such events and returning to some of the more tried and tested channels (while still adopting a lot of the digital advances we see every day).
Check out our full range of upcoming live events for investment management firms. I am particularly excited about this year's IUCM where over 400 people are already registered to attend. Check out the full IUCM program here.
What do you think the future of live conferences is? Feel free to leave a comment below, or connect with me on LinkedIn.
