Living in a Virtual Craft Beer World - Craft beer and virtual events
As of writing this it will have been about 4(ish) months since COVID-19 caused our wonderful world to go into quarantine (at least for Ontario) and much has changed over that time. The biggest observation in day to day life is the transition to a virtual landscape. Whether it’s working from home, presentations, interviews or other events many have shifted to doing these things online, and so have we! Moving our tours online is not ideal as we love to physically walk through each cozy Toronto neighbourhood but when life hands you lemons...you make shandy of course! So we’re venturing into the world of virtual craft beer tours. Let’s talk about the pros/cons of virtual events, the transition from in person events and how the craft beer industry has adapted. And awaaayyy we goooo…
First off, virtual events are not an entirely new phenomenon as people have been hosting webinars for quite sometime now but, we have seen a bit more attention towards creating and promoting virtual events simply because they probably can’t be done live for a while (Thanks COVID-19…). So what are some of the benefits and downfalls of virtual tours? Great question, let’s break it down.
Virtual Event Benefits:
The first benefit that comes to mind is the increased ease of access to events. With attendees no longer shackled by the constraints of geography, people from anywhere in the world can join an online event! This is fantastic to share your event with even more people using the same or less effort...the wonders of technology.
Another benefit of virtual events is the lower cost. Since you’re not shelling out for all the items and accessories you would use in person you save on those expenses which should make for a more profitable event. Although you may also be charging much less so this benefit can vary but at least the probability of a chance for lowering expenses is greater when going virtual.
The final main benefit is that there is much less to worry about when planning & prepping. Since everything is online and done through a video conferencing app those are the only bottlenecks that need to be addressed logistically. Let’s face it worrying about the steps to get your call up and running should be much less than the number if steps needed for an in person event at a venue. No catering needed!
Virtual Event Downfalls:
So like anything in this world there are downsides that are a reality. The biggest downfall, in our opinion, is the lack of human interaction. One of the things I look forward to the most with our beer tours is meeting new people and sharing our experience..IN PERSON! This is something that cannot easily be transitioned to a virtual landscape. Sure, you can have people chime in with questions and have conversations online but you miss out on all the social queues, gestures, and interactions that are best done in person (Not to mention the ability to have more than one conversation at a time).
Another downfall with virtual events can be too much structure. Sure there are set times for a Q&A period or you might be able to chime in to the host once and a while but that is usually as far as the conversation goes. On a virtual event there is a start and end time, usually with no ability for guests to interact with other guests. I am a firm believer in the power of networking and virtual events can pose a fairly significant barrier to making that happen. No networking cocktail hour here!
Finally, virtual meetings are of course...virtual. This means that technology is heavily relied upon for these meetings and, as such, could be its downfall if there is an issue. Yes, technology has come a long way to be much more reliable but anything can still happen. Poor internet connection, improper meeting/computer settings, power outages or even hackers, these are all potential issues that can arise in a virtual event.
So what do virtual events have to do with craft beer!? Great question. Up until about 2 months ago the answer was...nothing. Prior to the pandemic I can’t recall any craft beer event that was offered online or in any virtual instance. But, like many other organizations, the craft beer industry has also pivoted towards the virtual scene as of late. We are seeing players in the industry put out new virtual content and events that they might not have done otherwise. Things like virtual tastings, beer pairing videos, online Q&A sessions, and much more. Normal in-house brewery events such as trivia night and live music are being streamed for all to continue to enjoy. Even craft beer festivals are trying their hand at going virtual! I have seen these mostly in the US but the Roundhouse Craft Beer festival in Toronto is trying it out this year and the Newmarket Craft beer festival is going with a similar idea having their beer boxes support local..
Seeing the craft beer industry adapt so well to trying times is certainly encouraging, especially since we work with local breweries to make our tours happen. This is why we have decided to adapt as well with our virtual tours. The decision only made sense, we could continue doing the tours that we love while also supporting the local craft breweries we work with...a win win! Who knows, maybe more future events will be held online even without a pandemic? If you’re interested in a craft beer virtual event hit us up or check out more info here. So whether you like virtual events or not, check out your local brewery for any new online offerings and give one a shot. This post by The Growler regarding online brewery events can get you started.
Cheers!
Craft Beer is Here.