It’s the perfect storm:
TSA staffing shortages, extreme weather, constant flight delays, and airlines cutting hundreds of flights daily1. There is an in-person speaker program tonight. Your scheduled speaker wakes up to a ping on his phone at 4:30 am and finds the dreaded message: “We have been notified by the airline that your flight has been cancelled, please contact your travel agent.”
Now what?
Our client experienced this exact situation only a month ago. Their live speaker program had been set up months in advance. Overnight, the weather changed from mild to severe winter storms sweeping across the Midwest, headed to the east coast. Their speaker had to fly outbound on that exact route. Typically, we provide alternatives. In this case, there were three airports nearby; any of which could accommodate a new flight for the speaker if he met a flight delay. However, not only was the speaker’s flight cancelled, but the heavy snow and gusty winds led to widespread airline disruptions in the entire region.
We did a quick search to see if we could find an alternative airport, but there were no flights available for at least several more hours. The flights we found would arrive too late.
It was time to pivot!
The speaker was an experienced presenter, comfortable with both virtual and in-person programs. Thankfully, he was willing to switch to a virtual format, so we agreed to implement a new plan quickly that day. He would do a hybrid program, a virtual presentation from his office streamed live to the guests at the venue. We quickly confirmed the WIFI and equipment at the venue, set up a Zoom meeting and shared the links with all co-hosts, ordered special equipment from the AV vendor, and we were ready to go with time to spare. Everyone was on the same page.
The Universe, however, was not finished with us just yet.
As the evening set-up drew near, the AV tech had a personal issue that required him to leave the venue for a bit and come back. There was only a short window of time to return to the venue before guests arrived. The minute Vision2Voice (V2V) was notified of a possible delay, our program manager opened the Zoom program to set up. She had asked the sales rep to bring her laptop as a back-up to avoid any chance of technical issues. The rep’s laptop was successfully connected to the TV and speakers without the AV tech’s special equipment, with the help of V2V’s technical support team. Everything was ready within half an hour.
In the meantime, our on-site planner began welcoming guests, the wait staff took their orders, and the speaker began his presentation right on schedule. The guests could see and hear the presentation perfectly and the speaker could interact with them, providing the best possible peer-to-peer interaction using our virtual format. With V2V’s technical ability and the team effort of our host, speaker, onsite staff, and program manager, the emergency switch from an in-person to a virtual program was flawless!
You may be aware that there’s a palpable shift towards the return of business travel at a level not seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Polls predict that 42% of travel managers expect the number of employee travelers to increase in 20263.
What does this mean for your speaker programs?
More people traveling puts your in-person programs at greater risk of last-minute delays and even cancellations. Doesn’t it make sense to have options? V2V offers hybrid programs, virtual programs, and in-person programs. You can be confident that our expertise and flexibility to navigate these types of emergencies will keep you on track for a successful program, regardless of which program format you choose.
Vision2Voice offers the most effective solutions, even when the Universe has other plans. When the unexpected happens, can your current agency execute a Plan B or Plan C, without hesitation?
We have seen our share of emergency scenarios over the years and would like to hear about yours. Do you have frequent emergency situations with poor outcomes or pain points with your current programs? Please share your story with us, and we’ll tell you how we would handle it. When you share your story, we’ll send you our free White Paper, Developing and Delivering Engaging Virtual Speaker Programs with Impact. If we can answer any of your questions, please contact us.
1. Carey, Rob. “Airport and Airline Updates as TSA Issues Drag On”, MeetingsToday.com, 18 Mar. 2026, https://www.meetingstoday.com/articles/145806/airport-and-airline-updates-tsa-issues-drag
2. Hall, Wayne. “US Flight Disruptions Mount as Major Airlines Scrap Routes”, TheTraveler.org, 24 Mar. 2026, https://www.thetraveler.org/us-flight-disruptions-mount-as-major-airlines-scrap-routes
3. Pratt, Logan, “Industry Intelligence: Meeting Trends and Event Data Every Planner Needs to Know”, MeetingsToday.com, Trends, sec Industry Increase”, Source: Future Market Insights Inc., sec “Time to Travel” Source: GBTA January 2026 poll, 10 Mar. 2026, https://www.meetingstoday.com/articles/145389/industry-intelligence-meetings-events-trends
