Excited to announce that VEG is teaming up with Sprockit to present Sprockit Social -- a curated event where startups in the burgeoning virtual events and meetings business get to present, network, and share ideas with corporate partners looking for solutions. It’s going to be fun, fast, and filled with surprises. Date: April 29th at 12 PM EST (Virtual)

If you’re interested in attending as a corporate/association/investor or press contact Robin Raskin.  If you’re interested in participating as a presenting startup contact Julie Sylvester, Director of Sales and Marketing at VEG. All applicants will be vetted to ensure we’ve got the magic meeting blend! 

In their new book Denzil Rankine and Marco Giberti move quickly to paint a truly exciting picture of the future of engaging events. The book explores events, whether they’re face to face, virtual or hybrid, and how they’ll morph into a continuous, engaging experience. I’m talking to them this week and I hope they’ll be part of a future VEG meetup.

Microsoft Teams is a decent video conferencing product, but it's about as far from a true meeting platform as the North Pole is from the South. Now it wants to take meetings into the metaverse. Microsoft debuted its AR/VR meetings platform called Mesh at the company’s Ignite meeting this month. Mesh uses the company's AR HoloLens platform for shared meetings. It gives users space to interact with each other and with content in spatial 3D. Developers are encouraged to create cross-platform holographic apps with shareable digital objects. (See more in TechCrunch.) For a more nuanced technical look at Mesh read PC Magazine’s analysis of what could go wrong with Mesh’s headset-reliant and computing resource intensive strategy.

NexTech AR Solutions launched an Ad Network enhancing AR’s potential for virtual events. Based on an individual’s behavior, the Ad Network is planning to serve up highly customized ads that feel non-intrusive and organic to the virtual event. Furthermore, the company can track and measure purchase data, demonstrating the full impact of the program. The line between sponsors and advertisers blurs. See more on Yahoo.

• Poetic Justice: Doesn’t it make perfect sense that the first live event at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center was The HQ Event, a two-day expo for the cannabis trade. The Big Easy leads again.
  
  
• Jump on this One: Normally $249,  Cvent is waiving its fees on certain accredited courses like this one for diagramming compliant seating arrangements. 
  
  
• Splash Makes Waves: Their new virtual events pages can be updated and personalized for your attendees so they’ll always know where they’ve been and where they’re going. 
  
  
• Icebreakers: Are you plumb out of ideas for entertaining breaks at your meetings? This list from Museum Hack leaves no silly trick unturned. 
  
  
• Take a Walk Down Congress Street in VR: SXSW is building Congress Street in VR so you’ll be able to wander into the Paramount Theatre, the Empire Control Room & Garage and other locales for a good dose of the Austin scene.
  
  
• GES Interactive Global Events Tracker: Look  who’s opening for face to face events and where. (Hint: The US is a laggard except for Orlando and Houston) 
  
  
• Workers are over Zoom happy hours: The days of forced fun in the workplace are even more tedious online. 
  
  
• Burning Man 101: Topia’s platform created a case study of a perfect event of the future.