During Momentum Connect in May, our CEO, Eddie Capel, talked about shops that had been ‘put to sleep’ during various lockdowns and how they were ‘beginning to awaken’ from their enforced slumber again. It is not only the shops that have awoken, but also the shopper that is in all of us. How nice it is to go into town again; to walk into a shop prepared or not, to try on a new shirt; to have a chat during the checkout and to eat a sandwich on the way home. After the hardships, I sense around me a great urge to go out and meet people.

I also sense this urge in myself, especially professionally. In previous years, we would have met in person around this time of year at our annual event in one of Europe’s vibrant cities. Instead, we have been meeting through digital events for a year and a half now. A lot of knowledge has been shared, not only by us but also by our customers, and many retailers, wholesalers, brand owners and ecommerce specialists have been informed and been inspired by these digital connections.

For many, our work also took place primarily via digital channels. Hundreds of sales calls, product demonstrations, contract negotiations, software implementations, product strategy discussions and user training sessions were all conducted remotely via computer. Despite travel restrictions and social distancing measures, there have been a number of noteworthy results, including a record number of global go-lives.

While we will not stop using this digital approach completely, I have noticed a desire within our business development, product and project teams to meet people again. Perhaps not all the time, but hopefully at regular intervals to bring extra energy into the collaboration process with our customers and partners. That we, too, are going to meet each other again is clear. How exactly, we do not know yet. Probably not at big international events across the capital cities of Europe, but rather at smaller, more intimate events nearer you. The opportunity to catch up and exchange ideas in person will be here soon and I am looking forward to it. What about you?