> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://capitolcommunicator.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Innovation and Agility Will Lead Way for Events in 2022
- URL: https://capitolcommunicator.com/innovation-and-agility-will-lead-way-for-events-in-2022/
- Published: 2022-01-07T19:18:27.000Z
- Updated: 2022-01-07T19:20:45.000Z
- Author: Guest Columnist
- Tags: Events, Insights, #Import 2026-10-08 18:52

***By Reggie M. Kouba, President & Founder, RMK Productions***

**The last two years have thrown nothing but curve balls** at those of us that produce events. 2022 is the year smart leaders will take all that experience and use it as the foundation to innovate for a better experience for both attendees and staff. Though, as Omicron has taught us, agility will remain the essential tool for creating great events, big and small.

**Hybrid Events will Rule**

Just like with going to the office, when it comes to events some folks are embracing in-person opportunities while others are more than happy to attend from home…or elsewhere. Meeting the needs of both audiences will help guarantee success in part because hybrid approaches ensure those planning events have all the tools they need to stay agile as external factors exert their ever-changing whims on our plans.

To be successful you need to experiment to innovate in two key areas: pricing and technology. Honestly, the tech part is the easy part. Over the last 24 months there has been a proliferation of platforms across all price points. Create your list of needed functionalities, determine which platforms are in your price range, check out a few demos then pick one and go! Importantly don’t tie yourself to any one tool for too long. This market will continue to innovate at a rapid pace in 2022 so plan to reevaluate your event tech stack at least twice this year.

2022 will be a year of pricing experimentation. While many folks say it should be less expensive to attend remotely, the reality is the tech costs just as much, if not more than room rentals, food & beverage and A/V. Determining what your market will bear will require smart research and some risks. Currently our clients are trying a range of options including:

- Charging the same price for in-person and remote attendees
- Charging a reduced price to attend a live event remotely
- Charging one price to attend in person and a reduced price for viewing a recorded event
- Charging a slightly reduced price for a recorded repeat of the event that features live Q&A sessions with speakers

Don’t forget to bring your agility game to the in-person side of events too. Several RMK clients have shifted January in-person and hybrid events to remote only. In all cases venues have passed on their opportunity to simply keep deposits, instead offering alternative dates within 90 or 180 days that can be used for other events on an organization’s calendar. 

While venues continue to offer as much flexibility as they can, there are limits to what they can do and stay in business so agility around how you might leverage a repurposed contract is the path to the win-win for everyone. And don’t forget that all important force majeure clause for any contracts.

**Networking Will be Pivotal to Success**

What I’ve seen among our clients, as well as across the events and association industry since 2020, is pretty clear. Those that prioritized networking in any form succeeded with membership retention and revenue goals. Those that leaned on increased programming delivered remotely, while waiting for things to return to normal, slid backwards.

In 2022 organizations still waiting for the return to normal will slide backwards farther and faster as new opportunities elsewhere compete for their members and event attendees. The good news is it’s not too late to quickly pivot to more networking. 

Organizations that get this right in 2022 will mix quantity with quality. On the quantity side, our most successful clients have focused on simple ideas that they execute consistently such as opening all events 30 minutes early with Zoom breakout rooms for folks to simply mingle in small groups for easy virtual conversation. On the quality side, there are now several tech tools that allow people to take their avatar from table to table (or room to room), making it easy to catch up with old friends or make new ones.

**Awards Will Innovate or Die**

The “create an awards program to create revenue” era is dead, along with complicated and expensive applications, lots of categories and with any luck the chicken dinners for 500\. The pandemic has accelerated the trend of innovating awards programs by focusing on increasing brand equity and membership retention while giving out only a few, high-value awards. Several of our clients have increased the interest in their award programs by coupling them with a charitable aspect, most often an online silent auction.

Winning award programs in 2022 will bring a new perspective that:

- Simplifies the application process
- Eliminates application fees (at least for members)
- Strategically honors individuals and organizations for their current or potential role
- Highlights sponsors and other organizational supporters
- Wraps the awards process and program with a package of member benefits and recognition
- Thoughtfully engages with finalists and winners post award

As many people are saying these days, this is not March 2020\. We now have the experience, tools and knowledge to move forward and embed the lessons learned. Those that thrive in 2022 will use that wisdom to drive innovations that deliver a more agile future, better aligned to audience and staff needs and, most importantly, creates an experience that is consistent because it can better withstand those ever-changing whims of external forces.

**Reggie M. Kouba*, is President & Founder of RMK Productions, a full-serve event and association management firm based in Falls Church, VA. Connect with her on* [*LinkedIn*](https://www.linkedin.com/in/reggie-m-kouba-6876254?ref=capitolcommunicator.com) *and learn more about RMK at:* [*rmkproductions.com*](https://rmkproductions.com/?ref=capitolcommunicator.com)*.*