Raise your hands if you miss experiencing the goosebumps at the beginning of a live concert. Raise your hands if you miss having tears in your eyes when the national anthem used to play at the stadium before your favorite team played. Raise your hands if you miss giving a standing ovation at the end of a Broadway show. We believe that just like us you too are missing experiencing the raw feeling that developed at the beginning or at the end of live entertainment.
Since the coronavirus outbreak, things have changed globally. Especially in the United States, the situation has yet to normalize and this has encouraged industries to close their offices, organizations, and places of public meet up. This includes closures of schools, workplaces, and even places for public amusements.
It is hard to see the reopening of venues and return of frequent, large public gatherings. However, this doesn’t particularly stop the entertainment industry from fueling the demand of its consumers. Just like organizational businesses have established work from home schedules to make sure their operations stay alive, the entertainment industry can adapt and innovate with the new opportunities on hand.
This compels us to prepare for the future times where the increase in demand for human connection in entertainment will grow more than ever. And for this purpose, the entrainment industry has to build its strategies around the new normal.
Increased Demand
Humans crave human connections. No matter how many video sessions we have with our friends or have virtual parties via Zoom but the need to enjoy real emotions in real-time is evident. The coronavirus, instead of scaring people into avoiding human connection, has instead increased the demand for meet ups with friends and family once the pandemic is over. Even though the fear of catching a virus or spreading the virus to our loved ones and people around still exists but the uncertain lockdown and restrictions have managed to frustrate the calm person in all of us.
There are entertainment sectors that are working on giving people a good experience through virtual means like Duomo and its 25th anniversary of The Phantom of The Opera and also Hamilton, but it could not fill the void that was created because of the coronavirus restrictions.
These online experiences are only managing to increase the demand for live entertainment, as people could not feel the same satisfaction through these virtual experiences.
Therefore, the entrainment industry needs to realize what is coming through. They not only have to create more content for the audience, but they also have to produce more content for the cable TV audience that has been dependent on cable TV entertainment throughout the coronavirus crisis. While cable TV providers like WOW TV from WOW cable have managed to provide excelling customer experience, but good packages and affordability cannot fulfill the need for new content for the users.
Mobile Technology
The coronavirus outbreak has managed to confine a million people into their homes only to exceedingly use the internet and mobile data to kill boredom. Not only has mobile technology managed to put a need of high demand for online businesses but it has also created the need for online content for internet streaming platforms.
This is an opportunity for entrainment industry executives to create content for patrons that can’t enter the venue to enjoy shows with the live audience. The mobile technology experience in cinema entertainment is not only safer but it also makes the whole experience worthwhile.
This an opportunity for franchisees to produce more user engaging content and make the whole experience seamless.
Creating Hybrid Events
The great pause that came with coronavirus virus has managed to increase the reach of online platforms regarding the audience. Many online creators have managed to reach their targeted goals in terms of watching, audience, and revenue. This change has brought up the opportunity for many franchises to run their organization based on this model.
Not only can we create hybrid events with online attendees and online streaming platforms, but we can also even earn revenue through online tickets.
Adopting new models and bringing out new changes into planning can help event managers to create a better hybrid event with a larger and adjustable audience online.