How do organizers must reinvent IoT events to survive and thrive?

Since the MWC20 was cancelled due to covid 19, events organizers have sought alternatives to continue offering their services to exhibitors, customers and visitors. Internet of Things (IoT) events have been no exception. The answer has been in my opinion an abusive carousel of online events. I am exhausted from so much virtual IoT event.

When #iot events organizers offer me to attend or participate free in virtual events that I would not otherwise attend or moderate, I sign up without hesitation. After all, I have been working remotely at home for months and I am more flexible when it comes to managing my time. We are ending the month of August and I still must participate in another virtual event in September and have been invited for 2 more in November and December. I feel exhausted from so much virtual event.

I cannot say that organizing or participating in one way or another in these virtual events has brought me great economic value. But as an IoT pioneer you can imagine that I must continue attending to maintain my influence among colleagues, customers and prospects.

Perhaps because of the strange times we are living, I have changed my priorities and I am honest when I said you that I think I have wasted my time connected to boring and repetitive sessions.

As I have sometimes commented in my articles, in the last two or three years the IoT has not advanced and these events only show the de-cline of this market that has been swinging in the Trough of Disillusionment for three years.

As a pioneer of the IoT, I cannot say that organizing or participating in one way or another in these virtual events has brought me great value. But as you can imagine, I must continue attending, so that colleagues, customers and prospect can see me, so that my influence is maintained. But really, perhaps because of the situation we are experiencing, I changed my priorities and I think I have wasted my time. As I have sometimes commented in my articles, in the last two or three years the IoT has not advanced and these events only show the decline of this market that has been swinging in the Trough of Disillusionment for three years.

It is true, that at least in my case , I became excited again when organizers added other technologies such as Artificial Intelligence or Blockchain to the IoT. (“Artificial Intelligence is devouring the Internet of Things”)

At some point it will be intended to return to the old normality. Yes, that normality of physical events, of real networking. From the obsessive exchange of business cards. Of the handshakes. Of the real opportunities generated by face to face meetings. But it will no longer be the same. This lockdown time has made us change or should have changed us. And I don’t think that unless the organizers do something surprising, they will be able to attract an audience and companies that may have seen that online events have been cheaper and after all the results have been the same.

I find it difficult to list the number of online events, webinars, video calls that I have participated in since the pandemic began. Although the results from the point of view of generating business opportunities have been poor.

The world is real, except to the new generation of young people who seem to want to live in a world of virtual reality and video games, and by many digital twins that we create will not solve the physical and real problems of our nations, cities, citizens, enterprises. It doesn´t matter how many online sessions we attend, the IoT needs to install sensors, equipment, people in the field to adjust the parameters and integrate with legacy IT/OT systems. We need real environments to test the IoT anti coronavirus solutions for HealthCare, Supply Chain, Smart Building, Transportation, Mobility or Retail to give a few examples and that is not achieved with more virtual events that tell us about a past time that perhaps we will not ever see.