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Darren Chuckry, Founder, Managing Partner, HK Initiative, and DES APAC Expert
Expert Hour Insights pull questions asked by students during the weekly live expert hours in the APAC Digital Event Strategist (DES) certification course. Darren Chuckry, Founder, Managing Partner, HK Initiative, and DES APAC Expert for Module 1: Industry Overview + Digital Event Types, was asked the question: Are digital and hybrid events really the new normal, or is it just a passing phase?
“The most important thing is to understand that the old way that we used to plan and work for events has changed. These words ‘digital virtual hybrid’ are a new normal that’s going to be here for a long time even though initially everybody was saying that, It’s just ‘short-term’ until we can all get back into in-person meetings.”
Darren says a hybrid solution is definitely the new way that is going to keep people connected and moving forward. Roles have changed, people have changed, and the old ways don’t work anymore.
“As an example, I’m working on a Business of Design Week – Asia’s leading design conference. After 10 years they finally said we have to ‘reinvent ourselves’ and have to completely change the way that we are working and the interactions we have, it’s no longer just sit and watch people speak. We’re going to have interaction and engagement. People want to participate. Think about who’s coming to the event. We always think about it from, ‘Oh we’re doing a conference for this, this and this, here’s our speakers, here’s all the information, let’s do it again.’
But we have to flip it upside down and start with the who’s attending. Why are they attending? And how can we give them more information that they can’t get on a Google search, that they can’t get anywhere else? And more and more I think these digital hybrid ways allow us to move forward in this new way and to change our roles and think differently. Because it’s no longer the same industry we knew even 15 months ago.”
Sign up for our upcoming Digital Event Strategist course, to find out what else your peers and leaders are discussing.
Meet DES APAC Expert, Darren Chuckry, Founder, Managing Partner, HK Initiative
Darren is an award-winning industry expert who has developed more than 1,000 marketing campaigns and brand engagements over a 25-year career with an area of focus in brand experience, digital technologies, 360°marketing and content production. Darren is the Founder and Managing Partner of HK Initiative, which brings together outstanding talent and companies from across the globe to design and create digitally connected immersive experiences.
