Online events/webinars took off in the 2020s. They were a tool built out of necessity. During Covid there was no other option. The result? “zoom fatigue”. I’m still traumatised when I hear “can you see my screen?”

While webinars still exist, their format is changing. The 2020s were really optimising for scale – developing huge reach, targeting massive audiences across continents, with AI the main game-changer.

Information and knowledge no longer have the same value. Anyone can find what they need to know on GPT, slot it into Notebook LM and turn it into their own personal podcast.

A growing need

But as AI is increasingly able to simulate reality, we lose touch with what’s real, and we develop a growing need for connection, personalisation and community.

So the key metric has changed: from optimising for scale to optimising for quality of experience. This has led increasingly towards the inclusion of audiences in the learning process.

Gone is the 90% lecture and 10% Q&A format. Data, from industry webinar engagement analyses and virtual event platform reports, shows that a minimum of 40% of active engagement is needed to keep your audience.

African travel trade shows: Bridging the gap between tech and trust

Carol Weaving  27 Mar 2026

Be a bridge, not a barrier

One of the best online events that I attended towards the end of last year allowed participants to customise their experience in a virtual room.

There, you could attend the talk you wanted, play games, and join the conversation on the chat, simulating a real conference.

The only difference was that you were a multicoloured digital llama.

The goal is for the screen to be a bridge, not a barrier.

Events industry research shows that 90% of stakeholders believe that large-scale events must be hybrid to survive.

Fireside chats, debate-style panels, live product demos – there is something that feels more real in these spaces, an unscriptedness, a rawness.

Breakout rooms enable people to connect, polls ask for their opinion. This level of participation invites attendees to be present, and this makes it memorable.

From macro to micro

A multitude of international studies observe a major shift towards micro learning, such as short videos, micro-lessons via messaging apps, and step-by-step job aids.

This then impacts credentials systems – we need to give people micro-credentials which accumulate as they complete online learning, hence the use of badges.

TikTok’s Level Up programme (run by Special Effects Media) graduated 3,000 students across Africa and provided everyone who passed with a virtual certificate.

It’s almost like the gamification of knowledge and skills – you get certificates and badges and digital recognition that you can collect, making you more valuable in your relevant field.

In Africa we have an advantage

We often think that big trends come from overseas – Silicon Valley, Europe.

But Africa has two advantages – a constrained digital environment which forces innovation, and a powerful culture of community.

The US and Europe have tunnel vision – they see a world based on super-fast internet, unlimited data and endless consumption.

But 80% of African students use mobile phones for study.

So if your content doesn’t work on a phone it doesn’t work.

This constraint encourages micro-learning and it creates a more personal connection.

You have the youngest population on earth using their main communication device, their phone, to learn.

This leads to a more community-driven approach to learning – sharing and problem-solving with peers.

African digital spaces prioritise people over platforms, WhatsApp groups rather than formal platforms.

The market is responding to this. The International Finance Corporation predicts that the African EdTech Market will reach $20bn by 2030.

The future of events

Take a look at your own digital habits.

Are you stuck in the old webinar mindset of ‘I talk, you listen’?

Or are you creating an ecosystem where learning is social and learners are included, and creating a space and place where trust can compound?

Because that is where the value is in events for 2026.