This is when Visual Media Conference will now take place

The Visual Media Conference (VMC), which is organised by Creative Digital Industries (CDI), was originally due to take place on April 7.

Robert McClements, president of CDI, told The Yorkshire Post that the event hadn’t lost any sponsors as a result of the disruption and if the situation returns to normal then VMC will now take place on September 8.

The theme of this year’s event is ‘Fake It Or Make It’, with speakers looking at the authenticity of information. Mr McClements said the theme is “probably more relevant now than it was before” the Covid-19 outbreak.

While the wider communications industry has not been spared by the disruption, Mr McClements believes that businesses will have to recognise the value of communications in all its forms once the crisis is over.

He added: “I hope that there could be some sort of longer-term reassessment of things that are really important like relationships, help and support.”

The use of online is going to be accelerated, Mr McClements said, but he added that the outbreak was also “reminding people the importance of other means of communication”.

CDI is a special interest group of the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF), which has been lobbying the Government on behalf of its members on issues arising from the pandemic.

Some businesses within the marketing and communications sector are busier than ever, while others have seen work dry up.

“It’s a very mixed picture,” Mr McClements said. “There are some people who are busier than they’ve ever been; others whose work has virtually dried up overnight. Some of those have come up with some voluntary ideas and support ideas.”

Now in its seventh year, VMC was set to host some big names from across the globe.

The former vice president of global design at the Coca-Cola Company, James Sommerville, the Director General of the Institute of Directors (IoD), Jonathan Geldart and Jon Bailey, CEO of print firm ProCo were all set to speak on April 7.

Mr McClements said all the speakers are standing by to appear on the revised date.

He added: “I’ve been fortunate with the conference and the way in which it has grown. It has been organic growth. A lot of it has been enabled by goodwill, support and recognition that we were creating a platform for the industry and for the region.

“What’s happened now is that that’s been understood by a nucleus of people around the event. Now I feel that it’s understood more widely. That’s been a big shift.”

The conference, which is held at Leeds Beckett University’s Rose Bowl campus, was mainly set up to bring key decision makers together.

Yorkshire Day could be turning point

As well as hosting the Visual Media Conference, Robert McClements also organises an annual Yorkshire Day celebration event.

Mr McClements says he hasn’t made a final decision on this year’s event yet, which takes place on August 1.

He said: “I’m trying to balance a combination of optimism and realism. I have provisionally made arrangements and we will be assessing that as time goes by. It would be fantastic to think that Yorkshire Day could be a turning point.”

He added: “I’m sure even if we can’t get together for a physical event, we’ll do something virtually.”