Asynchronous events: what they are and why they will be a trend in 2022

The annual report of EVENTmb, one of the most authoritative and reliable sources in the events industry, tells how 2022 is incubating a trend that could soon become predominant in the sector: asynchronous events.

What do asynchronous events consist of?

We are traditionally used to thinking of the event as a spot moment, of variable duration, but which begins and ends within well-defined time intervals. Of course, this conception has its positive and negative sides. Regarding the latter, just think of the fact that, if the organization is not ready for the event, there is no way to move or modify it since it has started to advertise it.

The paradigm changes instead when we enter the perspective of a widespread event in which the participants choose the path to follow.

The live sessions could be organized at specific and differentiated times according to the time zones of the target segments - thus giving the possibility to customize the contents addressed to certain types of audience.

The recordings can be re-proposed according to a schedule, allowing the community platforms to prefer the best time to participate - up to the actual on-demand content.

What are the benefits of asynchronous events?

The classic events can sometimes be considered "hit and run", in which feedback and suggestions are welcomed, analyzed and put into practice in view of an event that can be after an entire year.

Asynchronous events have the advantage of continuing to improve in the short term. Thanks to the close contact with the participants and the feedback from the community that is collected in real time, or almost, the organizers can evolve, implement and optimize the event quickly and efficiently.

At the same time, an asynchronous approach is an added value for the participants.

A user may be interested in attending an event but is unable to due to time constraints. In an asynchronous context, the event can for example be available in eight slots to choose from, in this way the user will be motivated to register and participate.

Similar speech for users interested in two or more events which, however, occur at the same time. Repeating them in five different sessions will allow them to participate without any conflict of timing, allowing them to make the most of them.

And in terms of Big Data?

Pre-recorded and repurposed content allows for a bigger, and better, data return.

A greater temporal coverage ensures a much more important user coverage than a spot event crystallized over time. The data collected allows for timely and precise profiling thanks to target segmentation, real-time feedback and the community that is created thanks to a personalized and interactive user-experience.

And you, how do you think about asynchronous events?