The story we will tell our grandchildren about 2020 has been written. It started in January with news from Wuhan, China, about a new virus and potential global pandemic. This news and the virus quickly traveled and expanded around the world. Within weeks humanity had a real challenge on its hands. People in different locations and conditions with different laws, regulations and cultures analyzed the situation and put solutions into place. Scientists raced to find treatments and vaccines to help life return to “normal.” It was no different for business and association executives, whose drive and resilience were put to the test, forcing them to adapt and quickly respond to unprecedented circumstances.
A year into the pandemic, we begin 2021 with a variety of effective treatments and vaccine options that health care workers can use to save lives. Businesses and associations transformed operational models to deal with the new environment and position themselves for the future. We now see a light at the end of the tunnel and begin this new year with positivism and enthusiasm. Does this mean that our lives will go back to normal? Or does this mean we have a new normal? What lies ahead for business leaders in 2021 and Beyond?
These are the questions the 2021 and Beyond Survey will explore. While global travel came to a stand-still and in-person events postponed with the entry of the pandemic, virtual technologies flattened our world, making it easier to connect. But what were the tradeoffs? Many associations experienced an exponential increase in virtual event attendance, driven significantly by international engagement. Yet the rules, regulations, cultures, circumstances, and market conditions remain different around the globe. What does the future of business hold in light of remarkable cross-border communication capacity, a mutual need to re-establish economic and social livelihood, international business opportunities, the value many people found in working from home, the continued limitations of physical interaction and market differences?
Help us answer these questions by participating in a short (11-question) survey, designed by consultants at Factum Global and StrategicStraits. Your confidential responses, compiled with those from other industry executives, will help us get a picture of what the future holds for businesses and associations globally. All survey participants may elect to receive a complimentary copy of the report. We will also host a webinar to review and discuss the survey results and explore innovative approaches business leaders can implement to position their businesses for success in a newly interconnected, disruptive, and fast-changing global environment.
To respond the survey, please click here.