Fall 2020

Cover illustration by Sarah Coleman

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Pandemic Pastimes: How Hobbies Help Us Deal with Stress

Many have turned to hobbies as a way to cope with quarantining. And that, neuroscientists and mental health professionals tell us, provides many lasting benefits beyond serving as a distraction during the crisis.

BY Curt Wagner September 2, 2020

5 Questions About Race — Asked and Answered by Black Tourism Professionals

Black executives from seven destination marketing organizations across the country call for open dialogue about race and racism.

BY Barbara Palmer September 1, 2020

Talking to Strangers in a Pandemic

Meet Cart maven Emily Hope Dobkin, founder of a company called Betterish, brings people together by having them share their stories in online sessions.

BY Barbara Palmer September 1, 2020

What Won’t Change

The pandemic has shifted our work and life priorities. Here are some things we’ve started doing while stuck at home that we plan on sticking with.

BY Michelle Russell September 1, 2020

Reskilling and Rethinking to Ride Out ‘Titanic Shifts’

As we make our way out of COVID-19, the business events industry must prepare with new skills and by understanding and embracing new business models.

BY Sherrif Karamat September 1, 2020

Rethinking Restaurants in a Pandemic

When indoor dining fell victim to COVID-19, some chefs and restaurant owners pivoted to preparing meals for the food insecure — and will make that part of their business model when the crisis is over.

BY Barbara Palmer September 1, 2020

An Epidemic of COVID-Related Waste

Measures to tamp down the pandemic have halted the movement to make F&B serviceware more sustainable.

BY Barbara Palmer September 1, 2020

Will the Pandemic Change How We Look at Mental Health?

As more studies show that Americans are experiencing feelings of anxiety, stress, and depression caused by the COVID-19 crisis, some hope it will bring mental health issues into the spotlight.

BY Casey Gale September 1, 2020

The Freedom of Remote Work for People with Disabilities

Virtual setups — in the office and at meetings — provide many people with disabilities more opportunities to work, learn, and participate. Here are five ways to ensure your digital events are accessible for participants with special needs.

BY Casey Gale September 1, 2020

Roping in a Global Audience

When an Oklahoma City cowboy museum closed its doors to visitors in March due to the pandemic, it found a social media star on the premises to keep its audience engaged.

BY Barbara Palmer September 1, 2020

Smile! How a Photo-Booth Rental Company Reinvented Itself

When the COVID-19 pandemic threatened SnapBar’s bread-and-butter business as an events supplier, its founders pivoted to creating city-specific gift boxes which led them back to events.

BY Barbara Palmer September 1, 2020

‘A Foundation of Values:’ Nightclub-Turned-Event Space Sends Message

Founders of the 74Wythe space in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood install mural celebrating New York CIty’s pandemic-time heroes, but commitment to social issues goes deeper than surface.

BY Barbara Palmer September 1, 2020

Why Expos Don’t Convert Well to Virtual

The exhibit revenue model is based on selling real estate — the larger the lot and better the location, the more we can charge our anchor exhibitors. Unfortunately, that doesn’t translate well to the virtual space.

BY Dave Lutz, CMP August 31, 2020

Meals on Wheels

Virtual attendees at the 3rd Annual Food on Demand Conference sought guidance on how to manage the cost of using delivery services with their business so severely impacted by COVID-19.

BY Casey Gale August 31, 2020

Risha Grant on Inclusion: ‘Wade Right Into Your BS’

Diversity is not a problem — it’s a strength, says entrepreneur and speaker Risha Grant. “Inclusion,” she said, “is where we suck.”

BY Barbara Palmer August 28, 2020

Thinking Inside the Box

How one virtual conference broke up a full day of screen-gazing with an “experience box” that had been delivered to participants’ homes, containing items to be unveiled at particular times during the day-long event.

BY Michelle Russell August 25, 2020

A Hybrid Event Playbook for 2021

The good news is you have more control over your next event than you may think. But you need to develop a strategy.

BY Don Neal August 24, 2020

We’re in This Together: ‘Sharing Risk in Highly Uncertain Times’

Panelists at a recent PCMA webinar agreed that all stakeholders — planners and suppliers — have to work together during this uncertain time and get innovative with business models. Here’s how a cartoon set the tone.

BY Curt Wagner August 20, 2020

More Than Child’s Play: The Toy Association Launches Three Virtual Market Weeks

The Toy Association offers an affordable digital alternative to an in-person event, bringing together toy manufacturers (sellers) with specialty retailers (buyers) before the 2020 holiday season.

BY Danica Tormohlen August 9, 2020

‘Surviving to the Other Side’

How the Live Events Coalition is lobbying for federal support for 12 million live events industry workers. 

BY Barbara Palmer August 5, 2020

More Planners Than Suppliers See Hybrid Events as Most Likely Recovery Scenario

In the sixth in Convene’s COVID-19 Recovery Dashboard series, planners and suppliers are predicting the pandemic’s economic fallout will have a deeper impact in 2021 than previously thought and are honing their digital event design and marketing skills.

BY Convene Editors July 20, 2020

A 24-Hour Virtual Event Attracts Attendees From Around the Globe

One association turned its virtual event into a 24-hour marathon — and some engaged attendees pulled all-nighters. 

BY Jennifer N. Dienst July 20, 2020

8 Marketing Lessons Learned From Taking Events Online

The shift to digital sweeping the meetings industry in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that virtual events require a different marketing approach than live events. Here’s what the last four months have taught the industry.

BY Kimberly Hardcastle-Geddes June 22, 2020

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