đ€Preamble
The world has changed, largely in part to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has not only claimed countless lives but potentially caused lifelong damage to those who recover.
As large gatherings become a thing of the past, a new emerging niche is micro-events. Truth be told, micro-events have been around for a while now, even before COVID, but traditionally have been limited to online experiences such as Zoom calls and Webinars. The music festival industry, to their credit, was the first to really take the concept of micro-events and apply them to music festivals.
What is a micro event?
A small-scale event with a limited (usually set number of attendees). Any traditional event can become a micro event.
đResearch
River Fest Elora is a music festival that averages about 5000 attendees
Austria Goes ZRCE is a music festival on a secret island each year and only averages about 1000 attendees.
In Australia, Lost Paradise Festival runs a small-scale experience and is capped at 5000 attendees.
đ§Observations
As countries like Australia endure lockdowns and restrictions, people canât attend large-scale events.
Generations (old and new alike) have become accustomed to using their phones for everything, from ordering food at a restaurant using a QR code to checking in using a contact tracing app.
Organizers can manage smaller events more efficiently. Requiring a proof of vaccination/negative test results for a more intimate experience is something many would be willing to do
Large gatherings wonât be the norm for quite a long time. Even after vaccination rates improve globally, COVID-19 will still be around like the flu and might even require a seasonal jab to be protected from.
The carbon footprint of smaller events is significantly reduced in comparison to larger events
đOpportunities
Take a traditional event and turn it into something smaller and more manageable. Music festivals are the obvious choice. Weâve seen many music festivals adapt to COVID by streaming them online and not allowing crowds. Going forward, as crowds come back, some will be anxious about big events and prefer smaller events instead.
The possibilities are endless, and with people yearning for their livelihoods to be returned and for things to go back to normal, itâs a great opportunity to explore that idea you have had. It could be an event focused on cooking or knitting, and it could be slam poetry or art.
A micro event allows you to offer a more intimate and tailored experience. Traditionally, larger events had limited audience participation where maybe there might be a Q&A at the end, but rarely 1:1 interaction. A micro event allows you to make it more personal, intimate and give attendees something they have never experienced before.
đIn Summary
Smaller events are more âleanâ and cost-efficient. Therefore, the barrier to entry has been lowered for people who want to start their own events and have been deterred by the usually high cost.