Sorry, Digital Events Only:
Is This The New Normal?

Heading towards a virtual world where for the sake of convenience, we are locking ourselves in a room.

Digital Events Issues
Stock Image | Photo Courtesy: Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Covid-19 has created problems in all of our lives and led towards digitalization, but should we allow it to change the way we socialize and interact permanently?

With Sundance Film Festival shifting its programming to a digital format, the end of coronavirus seems like a faraway dream. Months after announcing in-person screenings when things seemed normal, the Utah-based festival retracted due to the rising covid-19 cases. As a film lover, it is frustrating to transition from a theatre projection to a virtual event on a laptop screen.

 

Is this the future where digital events are the new ‘normal’ and are there any issues with going digital?

 

Sundance is one of the thousands of events affected by the pandemic, and small events with not enough resources, unfortunately, had to cancel their lineup. After this announcement, Michel Hazanavicius’ team pulled out Final Cut from the lineup. It indicates how uncomfortable filmmakers are currently with digital showcases due to piracy issues.

Sundance Film Festival Goes Virtual
Mary G. Steiner Egyptian Theatre at Salt Late City, Utah, USA | Photo Courtesy: Sundance Film Festival

Are event organizers able to recreate a similar experience by shifting events online?

According to a survey from Bizzabo, there was a 26% increase in respondents commenting that the last virtual event they attended was not fun. People are experiencing ‘Zoom fatigue,’ a problematic state where the experience gets lost online. Even Hot Docs made changes to its plans and hosted its podcast festival online in January. However, they still have planned to go for a hybrid film festival for their audience.  Bands and artists like Aerosmith, Elton John and Rage Against the Machine cancelled their shows instead of shifting it online. It is clear that artists want their audiences to enjoy the art in the way it was meant for consumption.

Aerosmith cancels events
Band Members of the Aerosmith | Photo Courtesy: Grammy Awards

Attending digital events from the comfort of homes is a privilege, but is this making you antisocial?

According to a report, people who are feeling antisocial are going out frequently. As a result, they are following fewer social distancing measures in public. Loneliness is making people withdraw from the activities that were of interest before. Narratives have become monotonous where every host opens with the line, “Are you able to see my screen?” Social distancing is necessary to reduce the spread of the virus. Shifting activities completely online would make you lose your audience.

How long do people need to wait and adjust to the virtual space?

People debate that the reason that the virus will stay around is that it is ‘best for business.’ Pharmaceutical companies have made billions by selling drugs and medicines. Most of these companies get research funding from the governments collected from the taxpayers. So where does this money go? Surely, the money is not re-invested to make a plan to end the virus but has funded bonuses of pharma executives, and marketing of the companies.

Governments should invest in technologies to live with the virus around. Solutions may include working on recycling indoor air to reduce transmission during events. By reducing barriers to entry in pharma, and encouraging alternate drugs we can develop more resistance towards the virus.

The benefits of the pandemic include conventional businesses rethinking their strategies to use digital space, but they cannot be a permanent alternative. Before the ‘digital’ events becomes the new normal, we hope to go back to the theatres and concert halls to enjoy events as we did before.

Coachella cancels events
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival | Photo Credits: Pitchfork Media

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