Mere coincidence or in aftermath of last week’s Virtual Edge Summit, there’s a lot of buzz this week about virtual versus live events. Virtual gatherings — from video conferencing to online interaction in 3-D environments — continue to gain popularity as target audiences are spread across continents and corporate and personal travel budgets inhibit the ability to physically gather large numbers of people. And, frankly, because a lot of the emerging technology is flat-out cool, with interesting ways to connect people, share information and set off digital discussions. Nothing to argue with there.
Amid the conversations already this week, I’ve been struck by a number of observations and prophecies that reinforce (sometimes inadvertently) the notion that face-to-face contact remains the most powerful path to meaningful connectivity and even innovation. Virtual exchange and digital communications can enhance and sustain connection but shouldn’t be viewed as a substitute for the real thing. (I think Catalyst Performance Group’s Todd Hanson got it right when, after observing the Summit, he concluded that the greatest success in influencing how people think and act lies in the intersection of face-to-face and virtual events. “By working together,” he suggests, live and virtual events “will extend reach, drive better ROI and, in so doing, capture more business.”)
Baltimore entrepreneur (and Feats’ friend) Dave Troy, in his recent blog post on a potential ‘innovation deficit,’ suggested that creativity and innovation are at their best “when people are able to connect face-to-face to discuss real-world ideas, try things out, and play.” There is seemingly nothing a face-to-face exchange won’t improve.
We look forward to continued exploration of virtual environments and opportunities for interactivity. And we continue to marvel at and embrace the power of online community-building. Arianna Huffington, at last week’s “Transformation 2010” gathering of the 4As, spoke of the need to “tap into the zeitgeist of the digital era” by focusing on the 4Es: “engagement, enthusiasm, empathy and energy.” Honestly, is there one of those ‘Es’ that is better served online versus face-to-face? Even a zeitgeist can’t replace the power of people.
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