Kegiatan MICE tetap berjalan meski di tengah pandemi. Konsep online dengan memanfaatkan teknologi menjadi solusi. Benarkah kegiatan MICE virtual tetap mendatangkan cuan?
Pandemi COVID-19 membuat kita terbiasa dengan berbagai aktivitas secara virtual, termasuk kegiatan MICE. Bagi para organizer, kompetitornya saat ini bukan lagi dengan sesama organizer, tapi juga dengan tim internal korporat yang juga menguasai teknologi entah untuk mengadakan meeting, gathering, sampai webinar.
Di masa kegiatan serba virtual ini, semua orang bisa menguasai teknologinya. Selain itu, konon, revenue dari virtual event jauh lebih sedikit dibanding event offline.
Dalam perbincangan podcast di kanal YouTube MICE Indonesia, Project Manager Dyandra, Bunga membenarkan anggapan tersebut. Tapi menurutnya, bukan berarti event virtual tidak bisa mengejar atau menyamai kegiatan offline.
Menurutnya, trik untuk mencari klien atau revenue kegiatan virtual, sebagai organizer harus kenal dulu dengan industri dan tren yang berlangsung. “Dari situ baru kita formulasikan apa yang mau kita tawarkan. Semua tergantung inovasi, kreativitas, dan personalisasi paket yang kita tawarkan,†ujar Bunga.
Namun, cuan tak melulu soal uang, menurutnya, kemampuan penyelenggara kegiatan MICE beradaptasi dan beralih ke virtual menjadi bukti bahwa pelaku industri MICE punya inovasi bahkan di tengah situasi yang sulit.
Setidaknya ada tiga hal yang menjadi ‘cuan’ penyelenggara kegiatan MICE di masa pandemi.
Pertama, kemampuan bertahan atau survival memaksa penyelenggara MICE mempelajari hal dan pengalaman baru. Misalnya, soal teknologi atau mengemas acara yang menarik dalam penyelenggaraan kegiatan virtual.
Jika di masa sebelum pandemi urusan teknologi di penyelenggaraan kegiatan MICE diserahkan pada vendor lain, saat pandemi mau tidak mau penyelenggara MICE harus bisa menguasai sendiri. Bahkan tidak sedikit yang membuat divisi khusus teknologi informasi sebagai unsur utama di kegiatan MICE virtual. Cuannya dalam wujud keahlian baru.
Kedua, bagi klien, engagement dengan audiens atau konsumennya tetap bisa terlaksana meski pandemi. Korporat sebagai pemilik brand tentu mau komunikasi tetap berjalan, sementara kegiatan offline sulit dilaksanakan, nah virtual menjadi jawaban.
Artinya, penyelenggara kegiatan MICE pun masih kebagian pekerjaan, meski keuntungannya mungkin tidak menggiurkan, namun relasi dengan klien tetap terjalin.
Ketiga, brand awareness terjaga. Harus diakui dalam situasi sulit seperti ini, banyak penyelenggara kegiatan MICE yang terpaksa menutup usahanya, namun tidak sedikit yang terus bertahan. Apalagi tantangannya, kegiatan virtual bisa dikerjakan secara internal oleh perusahaan yang jadi klien Anda.
Ketika penyelenggara kegiatan MICE bisa bertahan dan memberi pelayanan optimal, ini menjadi bukti kemampuan bertahan dan tetap berkarya. Percayalah, ketika pandemi berlalu, ketahanan Anda beradaptasi dan melewati masa sulit akan menjadi nilai lebih di mata klien.
English
Estimating Cuan (Profits) from MICE Virtual Events
MICE continues to run events even in the midst of a pandemic. The online concept by utilizing technology becomes a solution. Is it true that MICE virtual events still bring in profit?
The COVID-19 pandemic has made us accustomed to virtual activities, including MICE activities. For organizers, the current competition is no longer with fellow organizers, but also with internal corporate teams who also master technology in holding meetings, gatherings, and webinars.
In this virtual era, everyone can become proficient in technology. In addition, it is believed that the revenue from virtual events is much less compared to offline events.
In a podcast on MICE Indonesia’s YouTube channel, Bunga as a Project Manager from Dyandra agreed to this assumption. However, she believes that that does not mean virtual events cannot catch up or compete with offline events.
She agrees that the trick to finding clients for and revenue from virtual events starts from the organizers who must first be familiar with the industry and current trends. “From there, we can then formulate our offers. It all depends on innovation, creativity, and personalized packages that we can offer,†said Bunga.
However, cuan is not only about money. According to Bunga, MICE’s event organizers’ ability to adapt and switch to virtual activities proves that pelaku industri MICE are innovative even in the midst of a difficult situation.
There are at least three things that became the ‘cuan’ for MICE event organizers during the pandemic.
First, the ability to survive that forces MICE organizers to learn new things and new experiences. For instance, learning about technology or how to package activities interestingly in arranging virtual events.
Before the pandemic, affairs related to technology for MICE events were handed to vendors. During the pandemic, MICE organizers have to handle them whether they like it or not. Many have made a dedicated division for Information Technology (IT) as a core element in MICE virtual events. The cuan is in the form of new skills.
Second, engagements with the audience or consumers can still be carried out despite the pandemic for clients. Corporates as brand owners certainly want communication to be maintained, and while offline events are difficult to carry out, virtual ones become the answer.
This means that MICE event organizers still get job opportunities even though the profit may not be as appealing, but they can still maintain relationship with clients.
Third, brand awareness is maintained. In this trying times, many MICE event organizers were forced to close their businesses, but many also continued to survive. The main challenge is that companies as clients now can organize their own virtual events.
MICE event organizers being able to survive and provide optimal services proves their ability to hold on and keep hustling. Once the pandemic passes, your resilience, ability to adapt and get through difficult times will be of added value in the eyes of clients.
