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.

TSNN // While virtual events are not new to the industry, there’s no doubt that the pandemic has accelerated the switch to online-only conferences considerably. In fact, 70 percent of the respondents in this survey report moving their face-to-face event either partially or fully to an online platform.

This shift to virtual will likely go on until the virus is defeated, as new research suggests large-scale events were at the core of the spread of COVID-19, and many experts predict a second wave is still ahead. Now tasked with holding online events that deliver just as much value as in-person ones, event organizers are seeking ways to adapt to this new model as fast as possible. Here are our top three predictions for the virtual events industry as we enter this new normal.

PCMA // Technology may connect us physically, but much remains to be learned about its ability to create emotional connections.