The year 2020 will undoubtedly remain in our memory for a long time. It brought many unexpected situations that affected the lives of people around the world. We still must face the pandemic, although many countries are slowly returning to the new normality, with sanitary restrictions implemented, of course.
Unfortunately, the pandemic will also bring huge changes in the event industry. Many events have gone from offline to online, but there are also some that have disappeared from the 2020 calendar. One of them is Oktoberfest. For the first time since World War II, it is cancelled this year. Why was it decided to cancel, not switch into online? How was Oktoberfest as the offline event doing with online performance? We covered all this aspect below. Keep reading.
Oktoberfest 2020 – cancelled
The Bavarian authorities decided that the organisation of the event, which could attract several million people, is not safe enough. Considering the pandemic situation in the world (e.g. no effectively tested vaccine yet) it seems like the right decision. The organisers took into account, above all, the safety of participants and the fact that it is almost impossible to organise such a large event following all the sanitary restrictions.
These aspects above are the main reason why authorities decide to cancel instead of switching into the online event. It seems reasonable to not organizing an online event which the lead star is beer and testing it. It would be hard to enjoy various types of beer (e.g. a stout) while sitting in front of screens. The main plus of Oktoberfest is its unique atmosphere. In the case of online events, it is rather undoable.
E-commerce actions while Oktoberfest
Even though Oktoberfest was doing great offline, there was some online activity. Despite the opportunity to buy tickets online, there are few interesting tabs on the website.
Oktoberfest’s site is (obviously) in German but, you can switch into English. On this site, you can find many useful pieces of information like the map, opening times or info for applicants. There is also an online store with some Oktoberfest souvenirs like mugs or magnets. You can buy there some traditional Bavarian clothes, too. This year tab “Oktoberfest at home” appeared and you can find there some essentials from the festival. Just to cherish Oktoberfest’s fans a little.
What is a great feature – Oktoberfest provided live streams during previous years. There were four to choose from: live stream of the tent street, of the Ferris Wheel, with the view of Bavaria, and over the venue. It seems to be a nod to the participants who couldn’t participate but still wanted to feel at least a pinch of the atmosphere.
There are also Oktoberfest galleries, videos and… quizzes! You can, for example, check your knowledge about the festival or find out which dirndl (traditional, Bavarian clothing for women) will suit you the most.
Oktoberfest vs web traffic
As Germans used to say – Oktoberfest is the 5th season of the year. It is not surprising, the festival takes two weeks, gathers millions of visitors and ultimately became one of the symbols of Germany, next to Bratwurst and BMW. How was this big offline festival performing online in previous years?
Since Oktoberfest is called the 5th season of the year its influence at online users is quite relevant. Comparing the first week of the event to the last week before it there is some quite impressive data.
- Amount of online ads’ clicks decreased by 23% in the first week of Oktoberfest.
- Oktoberfest has big impacts on wine sales. During this event impression of wine advertisement decrease (-15%), similar to the conversion rate.
As you can see, such an event provides some buzz on the Internet. No surprise, many participants can’t wait until fall to enjoy this two weeks-long beer holiday.
To sum up
Without a doubt, Oktoberfest is one of the most significant events in Germany. During all these years (since 1810!) it becomes a relevant part of German culture. But lives and health mean more that such a tradition. Fingers crossed that next years’ Oktoberfest will be held without any significant problems. Even if we all will be forced to get used to living with coronavirus around us. Time will show us how the event industry will cope with these hard times. We have hope that everything will be just fine.
