Ten years after Covid: how the events industry has changed for good

Ten years after the outbreak of the coronavirus, the events industry looks back on a decade of fundamental transformation. Hybrid events, a focus on sustainability and the professionalisation of the sector are its lasting legacies.

Context

The lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 forced the sector into experiments it would never have undertaken of its own accord. Livestreaming, virtual conferences and online networking began as emergency solutions — and became permanent fixtures.

Industry response

Veterans of the sector point to three enduring changes: the acceptance that attendees can participate online, higher quality expectations from clients, and a more considered weighing up of the value of physical presence.

Broader perspective

Not everything that changed was an improvement. In 2020 and 2021, the sector lost a generation of experienced professionals who never returned. That knowledge gap is still being felt in 2026.

Ten years is long enough to say: the events industry went through a crisis and emerged as a different, stronger sector. That is something to look back on with more pride than nostalgia.