It is no secret that COVID-19 has upended the business events industry. As digital events are taking a prominent place in recovery, event planners are left at the proverbial crossroads. Adapt or fall to obscurity. Carola Ven Der Hoeff found herself at this crossroads and took the path towards being certified as a Digital Events Strategist. This is her story.

Convening Leaders 2021 speaker Cameron Bailey explains how organizers turned an international film festival into a record-breaking hybrid event.

Hybrid meetings ask for more from planners, like finding ways to replicate the energy of in-person meetings for virtual audiences — and in multiple time zones.

Convening Leaders speaker Daphne Hoppenot launched her online event marketplace, The Vendry, less than a year before the pandemic. In her session, she recaps how she built the startup and how the 7 Change Actions to Transformation guided her team when forced to change course.

In an interactive, on-demand Convening Leaders session, participants will gain insights about getting more value from event content. 

Though the International Association of Forensic Nurses offered moments of interactivity throughout its 10-week virtual event, attendees were primarily focused on acquiring continuing education credits.

Journalist and Web in Travel (WiT) founder Yeoh Siew Hoon on why events should tell a story, the benefits of starting at square one again, and why organizers should share their successes and failures.

As artificial intelligence (AI) penetrates more aspects of our lives, it’s important to remember our human role to reinforce empathy and governance, says Ayesha Khanna, head of AI company ADDO AI, and Convening Leaders Main Stage speaker. 

2020 was all about adapting to “the new normal.” But Convening Leaders speaker Peter Hinssen said we need to anticipate the “never normal” — a reality where change is constantly triggered by “seismic shocks” like the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Everything is up for grabs” in the business events industry, said ECEF keynoter Julie Cottineau, who shared in her session how to use a “twist” approach to rethink how to engage attendees, sponsors, and exhibitors in the new normal.

Just as the COVID-19 vaccines began rolling out, we asked December Recovery Dashboard survey respondents, both planners and suppliers, if they’re feeling more hopeful — and if the news has changed their plans for the coming year.

The editors of Convene looked back over 2020, asking this question: What’s one meeting and event trend on my radar in 2021?