One of the pros in our segment has always been the dynamic schedule of events; with rich and fun networking opportunities. Over these more than 15 years that I already have been working at this sector and its ramifications, I had the chance to participate in almost every event. With the contacts made in those shows, I still do great deals and establish super strategic partnerships today for P4F. Besides, through the years, I have also made great friends in the industry.
When the pandemic started and events were being cancelled one by one, it really hit me! First, I felt sorry for the organizers of these events that have worked so much, and thought about how much the sector as a whole would lose without these moments of sharing knowledge and information.
And that’s when another great idea came into the picture: the impressive ability of this industry to transform and adapt to new situations! Eye to eye contact has been replaced by eye to screen, and based on comfort, convenience and security, events are now occurring 100% digitally. Even though, at first, this strategy emerged to respond to an urgency of keep on staying active, I believe that, for us, this will be a super positive legacy of the pandemic due to three main factors: agenda, cost and logistics.
THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF GAMING EVENTS
We already have a forecast for the return of the in-person events schedule, but with a point of change, which I consider a major strategic inflection: the events will take place in a hybrid way, that is, who can bear the costs of travel and have a free schedule to participate in the events, will continue to attend in-person because everyone loves these moments and understands the richness that these meetings carry. Now, the executive of a company who is just starting in business and who has not enough budget to invest on these trips, or even those who have a mega-committed agenda and should make great efforts to respond to all of the commitments, now will be able to participate and explore all events remotely.
Therefore, product updating and networking costs are now optimized, ensuring a democratization of these events. Moreover, the number of participants tends to increase a lot, expanding in a really productive way our contact base and, mainly, the sharing of experiences and learning. This is fantastic!
Personally, I’m always open to meet people and listen to new ideas. I believe that this in-person interaction creates a driving fuel for winning initiatives that leverage the power of brands and, as a consequence, of the market as a whole. I’m a great enthusiast of this new era that we are experiencing. I truly think that this entire transformation that we are living goes far beyond events. Players’ consumption profile, in general, has changed and people have been looking for much more innovative entertainment alternatives. Our industry will need to create new ways and mechanisms to still being attractive in this new normal, and while many may believe this represents another challenge we have to face, I prefer to see it in a different light.
TIMES OF INNOVATION AND VISION OF THE FUTURE
I realize this is another opportunity to reinvent ourselves and make history. We are living in an unprecedented moment and, companies that can be relevant and innovative in this period, will certainly have a market lead that could anticipate a prominent future.
What matters now is provocation: are we seizing this moment to glimpse possibilities and perspectives, or are we just concerned with simply reconnecting our gears when the pandemic ends up being just a story to tell? I prefer to take advantage of this movement to pave my journey and that of P4F with much more innovation, initiative, boldness and courage. May we always continue to expand our vision of the future and work towards the progress of this segment that is incredible: it creates jobs, drives the economy, entertains, and encourages people.
I want to end this column by inviting you to follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram, which are my new channels, where I intend to talk a lot about entrepreneurship, our sector and also share some learning from the daily work with my team at P4F. I have to thank this group of persons that have been essential for the constant growth of our company! Let’s keep on making history because that’s what we’re here for, isn’t it?