Necessity is the Mother of Invention

By Andrea S. Peterson, CMP, MTA | Owner/President, ASAP Meetings & Events and Adjunct Faculty, Arapahoe Community College

Well, here we are on the declining slope of the 2020 pandemic that brought the Hospitality, MICE and Tourism industries to their knees. The old and often-quoted proverb, “Necessity is the Mother of Invention,” rings very true for today’s job seekers, as many new positions have been created that never existed, or existed in a very limited capacity, prior to the 2020 worldwide crisis. Indeed, the projected 500,000 lost jobs in 2020 in the hotel industry alone, indicates an economic sector ripe for reinvention.

The digital world is where we start. For years, most clients were entirely reluctant to consider a virtual component for an event, specifically concerned it would cannibalise their in-person attendance and participation. Enter worldwide shutdowns, and practically overnight, Zoom could not keep up. Usher in the development and deployment of multiple new event platforms, providing turnkey services including hosting live stream and pre-recorded content, producing robust and engaging virtual conferences and events, creating related successes surprising the naysayers.

This exponential growth in the virtual event platforms market caused Future Market Insights to predict a market surge at a compound annual growth rate exceeding 20% from 2020-2030. This means a HUGE opportunity for those in the events and meetings industry to hone their already solid communication, organisational and research skills, as well as keen attention to detail, to become online event coordinators and producers overnight. Due to the rising frequency of virtual events, jobs in live event support service are expected to register impressive expansion meaning tremendous opportunity for reinvention. The on-site logistics coordinator for an annual tradeshow or conference already possesses the skills to manage the same minute details that embody registration setup, speaker coordination and live stream-moderating in a new role as virtual event coordinator or producer.

In an interesting shift, “the COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated the natural rise of podcast listening, with global usage up 42%. In the U.S., 18% of adults said they are listening to more podcasts since they started isolating and social distancing, and there is also large growth among the Millennial and Gen Z generations” (Nolden, 2020). This medium has provided many authors and motivational speakers in the hospitality industry with a new platform for continuation of their traditional guest appearances that previously required travel and lost time on the road.

Due to this rise in popularity, podcasting is now “actively competing for the media dollars of both big and small advertisers, and it’s getting them. Experts predict that podcast advertising will pass the $1 billion mark by 2021, taking money from both traditional and digital vendors and carving out its own niche for advertisers” (Nolden, 2020). This growth means new sales jobs for assisting clients with ad placements and sponsorships, in addition to brokering the paid speaking opportunities.

Consumer behavior during the pandemic was molded to anticipate a fully digital experience across all markets. With the rise of social media usage, online shopping, food delivery apps and such, consumers across the globe have come to expect anything can be procured or consumed digitally. This growing shift has led to opportunities in digital design and marketing roles for both social media and organisation websites. Individuals with graphic design, promotional and creative event design experience can readily transition into positions in or outside of the industry, capitalising on these skills in the digital arena now at the forefront for companies around the globe.

Finally, the healthcare industry’s global transformation has contributed to many new positions, some of which are also an easy transition based on basic reskilling. The pandemic brought with it a growing rise in the care economy, explained as concern for the health, safety and well-being of all people groups, with provided services contributing to the nurturing and reproduction of current and future populations. The hospitality industry is already known and recognised for its care and concern for customers or guests. This overall service mentality easily translates to a number of healthcare positions as seen in countries such as Singapore and Sweden, where the need for supporting roles in home health care positions has grown. Home Health Aids and Patient Care Assistant/Technician positions are also on the rise in the U.S., with many jobs in the industry that do not require a four-year degree and where remote training is fully available, making a move into this sector an easy transition.

Thus, those in the meetings and events and greater hospitality and tourism industries who have found themselves downsized can remain positive, taking advantage of the buffet of prospects and transition opportunities their current skills afford. Brainstorming through outside-of-the-box thinking, common in the meeting and event design disciplines, will lead to new and greater use of skills and experience in the digital, care-focused economy the pandemic has brought to the forefront globally.

Reference/Research Sources

Amburgey, I. (2020, April 22). COVID-19’s Impact on Podcast Listening. Voxnest. Retrieved from https://blog.voxnest.com/coronavirus-impact-on-podcast-listening/

American University. (2021, April 2). The Care Work and the Economy Project. Economics Department. Retrieved from https://research.american.edu/careworkeconomy/blog/2021/04/02/what-is-the-care-economy-and-why-we-should-know-more-about-it-particularly-now/

Cision U.S. Inc. (2021). Virtual Event Platforms Market Witnessing a COVID-19 Induced Spike, concludes Future Market Insights. Retrieved from https://www.prnewswire.com/ae/news-releases/virtual-event-platforms-market-witnessing-a-covid-19-induced-spike-concludes-future-market-insights-301100127.html

Fox, J.T. (2021, May 4). AHLA predicts hotel industry job losses for 2021. Questex, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hotelmanagement.net/operate/ahla-predicts-hotel-industry-job-losses-for-2021

LinkedIn Corporation. (2021). Jobs on the Rise in 2021. Retrieved from https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/resources/talent-acquisition/jobs-on-the-rise-us

Meyers, A. (2020, March 27). Podcasts Lost the Commuter Audience, but 18% of Adults Say They’re Listening More. Morning Consult. Retrieved from https://morningconsult.com/2020/03/27/podcast-listener-audience-poll/

Nolden, C. (2020, December 17). Why podcasting has survived (and thrived) during COVID-19. Burrelles. Retrieved from https://burrelles.com/why-podcasting-has-survived-and-thrived-during-covid-19/

Southern, Matt. (2019, July 12). Marketers Will Spend $1 Billion on Podcast Advertising by 2021. Search Engine Journal. Retrieved from https://www.searchenginejournal.com/marketers-will-spend-1-billion-on-podcast-advertising-by-2021-report/316499/#close

About Andrea

Andrea Peterson is the founder and CEO/President of ASAP Meetings & Events in Colorado, a boutique planning company originally established in Texas in 2009. She and her associates assist select corporate and non-profit clients in crafting meetings and events to specifically meet their strategic goals.

Andrea served as a faculty member for the event and meeting management courses at Metropolitan State University (MSU) of Denver from 2013-2021 and is currently an adjunct instructor for Arapahoe Community College of Colorado. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from LeTourneau University and a Master’s Degree in Tourism Administration, with a concentration in Events & Meetings Management, from The George Washington University. She achieved the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation in 2011 and served as a member of the Events Industry Council’s Industry Insights Committee during 2019 and currently serves as a member of EIC’s Knowledge Committee.

Andrea previously held the position of Operations & Events Manager for the Royal Bank of Canada’s (RBC) USA Real Estate Mortgage Capital business and was also formerly the Events Coordinator in Marketing for the North America Lending Division of General Electric’s Commercial Finance Real Estate.

She and her husband also own two franchise businesses in Colorado in which she oversees marketing, public relations and communications.