PCMA // Like everyone else, International marketing company The Ortus Club, which specializes in knowledge-sharing events and roundtables for the c-level, transitioned to digital events during COVID-19.

Here the company shares five lessons staff members have learned along the way.

PCMA // How the Live Events Coalition is lobbying for federal support for 12 million live events industry workers.

CNN // This eight-course bundle, which is available for $34 on stacksocial.com, covers a wide array of Adobe CC programs, specifically: Photoshop, After Effects, Illustrator, XD, InDesign, Lightroom Classic, Premiere Pro and Spark. Within, you’ll find more than 48 hours of content including step-by-step lessons on the ins and outs of each of these programs and what they’re best used to accomplish. For a week, we took a hands-on look through these courses to find out how they stacked up, and this is what we found.

USA TODAY // Keeping the human connection going when you're behind a video camera is a question most of us are all grappling with during these challenging times. Whether we like it or not, we're all being asked to learn, meet or look for new jobs via webcam.

SMART MEETINGS // I’ll be honest. After being grounded for five months, the idea of flying across country to experience innovative strategies for physically distanced meetings—face to face and in the flesh!—had a certain appeal.

TSNN // Feeling disheartened about the delayed return of face-to-face events? Findings of a new extensive global study focused on the recovery of the trade show industry should help spread some positive vibes about the value of shows when they do return.

FORBES // In honor of the United Nations World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on July 30, I spoke with Lori L. Cohen, Executive Director of ECPAT-USA, a leading anti-trafficking policy organization in the United States, about what corporate institutions should be aware of right now so that they might contribute to the fight against human trafficking. Here is our conversation.

EIC APEX // In July 2020, EIC released the Meeting and Event Design Accepted Practices Guide. It is intended to serve as a resource and educational tool for industry professionals to utilize as they put the aggregated resources and materials into practice. 

EVENT SKIFT // Business events are making a timid come-back with a whole new set of rules and recommendations from international and local health organizations. The first events will look very different. These telling images shed light on the first in-person events.

ASSOCIATIONS NOW // Although associations may be able to hold smaller, in-person events that follow social-distancing mandates, a lot of people may still not feel comfortable traveling or attending. To navigate this, more associations will implement a hybrid strategy for all of their meetings.

MEETING MINDS // In – person events are coming back and when they do, how do we create a safe and healthy environment? Proxfinity has a solution to help ease us into live events while maintaining social distancing and Lisa Carrol tells us about it!

HIP NETWORK // In this episode we'll touch on the top stories in group business travel, live events and sports for July 14, 2020. In addition, Tracy's will expand on her vision for the future of freelance marketplace in the live events industry, the process of how freelancers find work, education opportunities, the effects of COVID 19 on our industry and the types of talent are organizations looking for now.

EIC APEX // On 22 July, the Events Industry Council will release the Meeting and Event Design Accepted Practices Guide. It is intended to serve as a resource and educational tool for industry professionals to utilise as they put the aggregated resources and materials into practice, with the objective of rebuilding trust that in-person meetings and events can happen safely.

In this webinar, we will discuss the intention of the APEX Task Force work, the process of aggregation and curation of resources for the guide, and its customisable tools.

WESTMINISTER RESEARCH // A study into the events industry and the stance it may take over the next 6 to 12 months. The report covers business impacts and potential organisational restructuring, taking account of the Covid 19 environment and global economic contraction predicted by the International Monetary Fund and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (IMF, April 2020; OECD, June 2020).

EVENT SKIFT // Jason Dunn, the chairman of the Board of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCBMP), was kind enough to share his insights then, and once again shares the benefit of his experience.

In the following open letter to the industry, Dunn outlines the context of racism in events, the history of the NCBMP, and some practical steps we can all take to stand in solidarity with Black people in events.

MEETINGSNET // A useful workbook for designing virtual meetings and events walks planners through the process.

SAMME ALLEN // Join us live from London and New York

This time, our live panel based at County Hall, London, will be joined by a live panel at 360 Madison, New York.

They’ll be answering more of your questions and demonstrating how Hybrid Events can really bring an event to life across multiple locations – and continents!

BIZ BASH // When its in-person convention got canceled, VidCon organizers launched VidCon Now, a free series of online programming. Here's how they did it.

FORBES // “You can’t start a fire without a spark” sang Bruce Springsteen in his classic ballad “Dancing in the Dark.” Well, for digital talent platform CEOs and thought leaders participating in this survey round of freelance revolution during Covid-19, the spark that’s lighting up a wave of freelancing growth is the remote movement driven by the Pandemic.

PC XP // A weekly conversation with freelance event producers, agencies who utilize them, and many more! This week we chat with Founder & Chief Connector of Soundings Connect, Tracy Judge. She shares with us why she created a vibrant freelance producer network, how Soundings Connect is helping retool the freelance workforce and the launch of a new platform called Soundings Thrive to bridge the gap in professional development for freelancers.