Virtual Events & Masterclasses: Are They Better Than In-Person Events?

Virtual events - classes, seminars, or even meet ups - have become the new "normal", since public health advisory measures on social gatherings took effect in April this year.

Despite the convenience, speed, and ease in which virtual platforms offer, as social animals, human beings generally do don't very do well physically-isolated, or confined to a same spot for long periods. Since our Neolithic, hunter-gatherer days, we have evolved to navigate the complexities of life in large social groups, of up to 150 members and relationships.

That being said, we have come a long way since our cave-painting, messenger pigeons, marathon men days, transforming the way we communicate. If anything, covid-19 has accelerated the prevalence and use of the internet and digital communication tools.

While our present technology of laptops and mobile devices cannot replace the experience of in-person gatherings, they can offer features that are missing or lacking in the latter.

Firstly, logistics and venue-related problems are removed for organizers. For participants, it eliminates having to get out of the house to travel from point A to B, as long as the event can be participated from any location with an internet connection.

Interestingly, attending an event from your own home or private space makes it easier to pay attention with usual distractions out of the way. There is certainty and relief in knowing that you will never be caught up by problems of the real world, such as battling at the buffet queue for final scraps because you were late, or be obliged to partake in small talk with an unexpected acquaintance who nudged you while missing parts of a presentation. It is also a win for the host, especially if information needs to be communicated visually with presentation slides or videos.

During my virtual whisky masterclass, I found it easy to capture and absorb information (props to the eloquent, seasoned brand ambassador as well), while nestled in the comfort of my own home and boxers. The event agenda was clear and focused with little room for the trivial and unnecessary. Through the screen and mic, attention between speaker and audience flowed efficiently. When one person spoke, the group's attention was directed to him/her. Due to this, people were also conscious about not drifting away from the main topic or agenda. The result is a gathering of participants that are in sync and attuned to the session's progress, with individuals treating one another with courtesy and respect that each and every person in the group deserves.

Priya Parker, a master facilitator and acclaimed author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters, puts it, “specificity is a crucial ingredient. The more focused and particular a gathering is, the more narrowly it frames itself and the more passion it arouses.” The unique nature of virtual platforms can create events that are focused, purposeful, and meaningful for both the participant and the host.

Not surprisingly, laptops or smart devices cannot replicate the same levels of cognitive and emotional sensation present in physical interactions, such as the contagious energy from a group bursting out in laughter, the fuzzy, intoxicating buzz of sights, scents, and sounds emanating from physical space and proximity, or perhaps even walking up to someone to start a conversation and getting to know them or vice versa. This is the soul of gatherings and what they are really about -- the freedom to participate and experience the infinite possibilities of our social world, unfolding in real time and space.

However, I must profess that I did find myself laughing with the group like a pack of hyenas whenever jokes were spilled, shared the warmth of toasts to new and old friendships, and cheering Slàinte Mhaith! from one grid to another. It was least to say that I had found it enjoyable and thoroughly impressed by the quality of the virtual experience.