10. The Nightmare
About not setting up but changing.
The Tenth Dream – The Nightmare.
Shortly after the New Year, the first warning signs came. A few months later, Covid-19 rammed the world with devastating force; it stopped, halted. The virus's advance destroyed businesses, shut down entire cities, screened continents and, above all, it hit millions of people and families extremely hard.
The most important recommendation was, here at home as well as in the world: keep your distance, avoid gathering. For Adapt, as well as for the entire event and meeting industry, it was, of course, a manslaughter blow. There was a sudden stop. Everything, just about everything, was booked off. Well-stocked order books were emptied overnight. It was like running right into a wall. A lot of people thought, "It's over. Let's die."
Well, you feel Adapt By now, right?
A situation analysis was quickly carried out. It showed: "Okay, we have two choices. We can wait, wait, go into idea. Or we quickly rethink and change our minds and ask ourselves: what is needed now?" The answer was clear: what was needed were digital solutions that could replace meetings, events, exhibitions and much more.
The good driven people were there. Not least David Oxe and Klas Öberg, who were really good at tv production, streaming and camera solutions. Everything and everyone was in the house. But then there was the question of premises.
But of course you should have a little luck, too. When this happened, the renovation of the new premises in Stockholm was in full swing. They would become a new office and a gathering place for industry colleagues. So it was to quickly pull the handbrake and point out a new direction: "we're going to build streaming studios!"
Now it was going at breakneck speed. Already in mid-March, the first studio was ready in Stockholm and just a few weeks later it was premiered for Gothenburg, also in new premises at the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre Gothia Towers. In addition, a fully mobile TV and streaming studio was launched. There was zero brake and the throttle at the bottom in all directions. Rarely has the metaphor been so precise: you built the boat while sailing it.
But is your name? Adapt That's what you do. "We rethented and remade it and then we marketed it as satan." It was a different time.
The effect of the lightning-fast transition was to Adapt took a leading position in the industry. The initiative soon got its own name and website: Studio Adapt. Old as well as new customers flocked to with assignments and requests for digital meetings, presentations, launches, meetings and much more. Demand gradually increased and more studios could be planned and started to be built.
When the summer came, they were quite amazed and very pleasantly surprised at how well things had gone. Even though all bookings had been deleted just a few months earlier. Even though the warehouse in Linköping was basically stationary and the equipment was collecting dust. There had been full operations in the new studios and the revenue looked pretty good. After a short summer break, it was autumn – and now the order books were full again. And Studio Adapt became five.
A total of three studios were completed in Stockholm during the autumn and two in Gothenburg. In addition, a large hybrid studio was launched in the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre's B-hall with stage and studio solutions adapted to give all participants, those on site and those remotely, a common and equally amazing experience. And not just that. The conclusion was that the future had shown its true face; and the future is spelled hybrid. It was seen that there will be room for and need for physical meetings in various forms just as digitally streamed meetings and events have come to stay. In addition, the combination of the two: the perfect hybrid, live and digital.
When Jonathan and Viking and all the others at Adapt could look back on 2020, there was no question that it was by far the most tumultuous and disruptive year ever. Not just for Adapt but for the entire meeting industry. At the same time, it became Adapt's most innovative and developing year to date. It had created a completely new business area, gained more corporate customers than ever before, the partnership with the event agencies had been strengthened and the offer had been broadened with content and design.
The key to making such a big transition was clear leadership, a dedicated team, a strong position in the market and, of course, a touch of luck and timing. A crucial factor was also that it decided early on to make digital events – and not to make TV productions or TV shows out of the event. There was a simplicity and clarity to what was understood and appreciated by customers and partners. The nightmare that afflicted the world had Adapt turned into a new dream, a new opportunity. Because, as you know, that's how they work.