The latest COVID-19 Recovery Dashboard Survey results are a mixed bag — events industry professionals say they are feeling less anxiety, but more report feeling burned out. Nonetheless, they’re hanging in there and setting their sights on more in-person and hybrid events in the first half of 2022.

Ninety percent of respondents to an Encore Planner Pulse Survey said they will or expect to use a digital-event strategy once in-person meetings recover.

Our COVID-19 Recovery Dashboard Survey has been tracking the emotions of planners and suppliers for nearly a year. Here we plot out what that looks like.

Rather than write a “big check” to a hotel for a canceled event, this planner invited local “COVID essential heroes” to fill the attendees’ spots.

There was much confusion during the onset of COVID and the cancellations that followed. Should venues be flexible? Are planners obligated to fulfill their contracts although the event could not take place? With time, practices and rulings have been defined in the business of events. Steven A. Adelman joins us to outline the responsibilities of all parties that now enter into an event contract from health and safety requirements to cancellation policies.

PCMA has held a virtual component to their major annual meetings, Convening Leaders and EduCon, for years. However, this year, hybrid took on a new meaning for our organization.

Juliano Lissoni, MCI Group managing director, Canada, on how the pandemic has accelerated the use of AI, machine learning, and blockchain technologies to boost engagement and experiences in the metaverse — “a fully realized digital world that exists beyond the analog one in which we live.”

Listening is a critical leadership skill, says Visit Oakland’s new CEO, Peter Gamez, especially in challenging times.

Workers are quitting their jobs in droves. A recent SHRM survey finds that more than two out of five U.S. workers are actively searching for a new job or plan to soon. We’ve mined Convene’s latest Recovery Dashboard results for insights about the Great Resignation and the business events industry.

Now that we’ve heard about the science from Dr. Patel, let’s look at how our industry has been directly affected. We have brought together a panel of industry experts to discuss the different ways COVID has impacted themselves and their teams. The panel will discuss their own journeys since March 2020, and how they intend to move forward, including vaccination requirements, as the uncertainty of the future in the meetings and events industry continues.

A June conversation among PCMA Catalyst Community participants about a shift back to virtual events rather than an expected return to in-person meetings underscores fundamental changes in the business events industry.

Expert advice, scenario planning, and clear communication played vital roles in HIMSS’ ability to safely host close to 20,000 health-tech professionals in Las Vegas in August.