What Does Community Mean in a Hybrid World?

If last year was about adjusting and finding new ways to create a community virtually, this year was about how to connect people in a hybrid world. In 2021, we anticipated being together in person for everything, but had to continue to pivot and be partly virtual and partly in person. 

I’m excited that at Evanta, a Gartner Company, we offered almost 70 in-person events in 2021. Like everyone, we had to stay nimble, and a handful of our in-person gatherings were postponed until they could be held safely. But overall, we were thrilled at how the second half of 2021 turned out with regard to our community offerings  

Last year, I wrote about the concept of community and what community means when you can’t gather in person. I thought that the definition of community as a feeling of fellowship with others, who share common interests and goals, was the most fitting for 2020. This year felt similar – but when we were able to get together, I think it brought to light how much we all missed the in-person connections.

This year also seems like a reflection of the buzzword ‘hybrid’ - hybrid work models and workplaces and hybrid event models. We’ll be in the office some days, but still working virtually a lot of the time. We’ll offer in-person events wherever we possibly can, but if something unexpected happens, we’ll offer them virtually. What does this mean for the idea of community? 

It means first and foremost, we prefer to gather, share and learn with peers face to face based on the feedback we’ve received over the past several months. For instance, here are just a few comments from executives in Evanta communities who were back in person for the first time at the New York CIO Executive Summit and UK & Ireland Inner Circle Dinner:

But when there is a curveball thrown our way, people don’t want to stop connecting entirely, either. That’s partly when the need to connect is the greatest. And it’s why virtual discussions will continue to have a place in our communities in 2022. 

As Bob McCowan of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals told us, “During Covid-19, the remote events kept us in contact…  It was as much about mental health, being able to get out and talk to people, as it was about learning what’s going on in the environment.”

As we reflect on this year, we are grateful to all of the executives in Evanta communities who trusted us to create safe, in-person gatherings – and to the many Evanta associates who made the in-person events possible. Our 2022 events will be posted shortly, and you can always check out our calendar to see the next opportunities for getting together with the peers in your community.