Zoom Call vs Private Jet Interview
Author: Tiffany Tong
We join a Zoom call featuring Jeffrey C. Lowe, the CEO of Asian Sky Group, in a panel debating the merits of whether businesses should keep using video conferencing technology or revert back to a more personal approach.
With COVID-19 changing the way businesses – especially those in the aviation industry – have been run in the past year, it begs the question: should this cost-efficient trend of video conferencing continue instead of the previous face-to-face approach? Many participants coming from the travel and tourism sector gave their opinions and insight regarding this issue.
When asked if panelists had any thoughts on the advances in video conferencing technology, Jeff informed the moderator that Asian Sky Group has started to use another virtual platform called Mytaverse. “It allows us to assume an avatar and immerse ourselves in a three-dimensional world. That world can have everything from board rooms to private rooms, showrooms, auditoriums, venues, you name it.” He further elaborates “you can literally bump into somebody as if you were just walking down the street.” For those who are experiencing Zoom fatigue, Jeff believes that this software is much more engaging, and takes technology to the next level.
The customizable features in Mytaverse are also more varied. “You can have Marilyn Monroe walking the aisles of a tradeshow plastered with Pillsbury if you want to raise some product awareness” Jeff jokes. “As it is a virtual world, the limitation is your imagination, so you can think in some very creative ways.”
Whilst some speakers argued that face-to-face interactions tend to be more enjoyable and have the added bonus of being physically able to visit the plane in person, Jeff firmly remains a Zoom enthusiast. “Zoom is efficient,” he says, “which gives you more time to have fun. I mean, as someone who gets on private jets and travels, I know he can still do business no matter where he goes. He can always get online and do that business virtually if he has to.” Although he understands that people still want that real-life experience, especially with quarantine and other restrictions, Jeff believes that virtual reality and other conferencing platforms still allows him to do business as usual.
Jeff then goes on to further discuss the benefits of this technology. “Those personal events we had in the past like tradeshows, you talk to some organizers and they’ve only got 250 or 300 people. When they went online, now they get 800.” However, companies are now faced with the dilemma of whether to keep virtually engaging with their audience or to revert to doing business the old way. This is something that Asian Sky Group has experienced too. In Jeff’s point of view, “the answer is you do both. Not only can there be an in-person show in Geneva for example, but we’ll also have the opportunity to run a hybrid event, where people can go to the static walkthrough of the airplanes and meet with whomever they want to online.”
Organizing hybrid events also benefits original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) by expanding their audience count. Jeff says, “if a guy can’t afford to go to Geneva, he can still go to the online show and engage with other people. Then there’s the additional wow factor of a first-time experience walking through a virtual world where everything is customizable.” Thus, these unique features not only make it an interactive experience but likewise something that is valuable to participants.
However, Jeff noted that in-person experience isn’t the be all and end all. When talking about corporate buyers, Jeff responds “They don’t care about trust.” He adds, “They are only interested in your airplane and don’t have to like you.” Which is why to him, doing things online makes the whole process a lot more efficient. “They just don’t make airplanes like they used to, what can I say?” Jeff shrugs.
Regarding the changing customer demographic, Jeff reveals they are getting younger, with more GenY Millennials entering the market. “They are online guys,” he says, “They use their smartphones all the time and so that is the medium they communicate with. That is the medium they build trust over. And those are whom the buyers are going to be.” This makes it even more important to adapt to the changing times. “Those are the ones we have to engage with,” Jeff concludes. “We have to engage with them through the medium that they are used to, and that is online, that is virtual.” He adds, “Maybe not Zoom, but certainly, other platforms that are more engaging.”