• John Hoffman, CEO at GSMA, producers of MWC in Barcelona, recalled being on the bloody edge of cancelled events. The 100,000 person event  was cancelled in mid-February, just days before the conference was to start on February 24. 

• Martin Osterdahl, Executive Supervisor at Eurovision Song Contest, reported that after last year’s event in Rotterdam was cancelled, Eurovision will continue to focus its core mission -- a contest, a winner and a winning song--but they’ve got four different contingency scenarios planned since the Dutch government has banned large events until there is widespread use of a vaccine. 

• Steffi Czerny, founder of the thought leadership DLD conference, riffed on the idea that a  virtual conference is simply another medium for creation. 

• Carina Bauer of IMEX was excited about Planet IMEX, a new set of tools for the traditional events company with elements of real life moved online. 

• Perhaps the least optimistic of the group was Jochen Witt, who serves as head of the Society of Independent Show Organizers. “Virtual events can strengthen the message,” he said, “but it’s nonsense to try to monetize a virtual event.” He added that the events industry enjoyed many “fat” years and it’s only natural that there would be a period of reinvention. 

• Finally, another event  industry veteran, Doug Emslie, agreed that WebSummit was a good start, but the industry needs to be better at facilitating networking and commerce in the virtual space.  

Orchestrated Serendipity Twine powered a VIP After Party at the WebSummit. Think Tinder for business. Based on your profile, algorithms match you with folks you’re likely to want to meet. Get ready to see a slew of these hit the market.

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Forced Fun: The holiday party At least you won’t have to drive home from this year’s party. A few ways to get the gang together for just the right amount of fun and good cheer.

Virtually Inaugurated: Donald Trump still can’t get beyond his “huge crowds' at the 2016 inauguration. Expect Biden to think more virtually.

Money to Burn? Bizbash looks at who’s outdoing who with the coolest event stages in the biz.

While virtual events are upping their game, monetizing the game lags behind. Time to double down on retraining sales teams so that they can articulate the benefits of going virtual to potential exhibitors and sponsors. I’ll get you started: 

• More granular visitor information (beyond a business card) can be gathered

• Larger crowds from all over the world

• Time limits and show open hours are no longer obstacles

• Novel sponsorships (think gaming breaks, workshops or sponsored parties)

• Better analytics about what worked best 

• And most importantly, lower costs for build outs and signage