🍎&🍊 re:compass #39: Apples and Oranges
Navigator for events during 15–21 February 2021
As promised, I was combing through event industry numbers during this week. Well, news are as good as bad — data is overall very similar to Bizzabo’s report although mostly also focused on USA market with a sprinkle of international flair.
Roughly half attendees show up at virtual events, about the same from the ones that actually attend intend to do so in the future, over 80% are satisfied and sponsors are also into the game.
34x more people attended a virtual event in November than in January 2020 according to eventbrite. This little piece of data caused a genuine eyeroll from my side. Are there really any other options at the moment? Physical events are not really coming back any time soon, and businesses and professionals have to venture online if they want to survive.
Come to think, if anyone knows how many people were attending virtual events in January 2020 as percentage of overall audience, give me a shout. Quite curious to see if overall audience is growing or has shrunk in 2020.
Also, eventbrite says there were 75M attendees registered for more than 1M virtual events on their platform. Which, erm, accounts to about 75 registrations per event? And if roughly half of them actually show up then average virtual event has ~40 attendees? It makes one wonder what percentage of online events are one-hour sessions and how many are day or two long conferences.
Those event statistics from different providers sometimes feels like comparing apples to oranges. Or apricots… For example, Wild Apricot reported that “84% of organizations who had already run virtual events reported that they spent less on virtual events than in-person ones” which is probably ok if half-day long events have been replaced by one hour long Zoom call. But that’s not exactly the fair comparison, right? There is growing consensus across event organizers that online event production is more similar to TV production with the same or even higher costs.
After all, meetup is not the same as a conference, and neither Zoom call is comparable to week long online festival.
When: 15–16 February 2021
Access: ¥5,500
Format: online conference
TOA returns to Tokyo for the 5th time! Virtually this time, of course. Once again, Berlin and Japan, the two powerhouses of the innovation industry, unite for a spectacular show. On February 15th and 16th, leading pioneers will consider “Re-Inventing Everyday” and navigating society in a transformed time. Founders, investors, educators, architects and more will discuss issues and changes that the pandemic has shifted, redefined, and ultimately turned on its head.
✊ Why Conflict is a Business Superpower
When: 16 February 2021, 18:30
Access: £10 — £17.50 + fees
Format: online session
Drawing upon valuable lessons from the cutting edge of communication science, journalist and strategist Ian Leslie argues that conflict is behind some of the greatest scientific and creative breakthroughs and it is to our best interest to learn how to air our differences in a way that leads to progress. Ian has discovered how to disagree well from world-class experts: interrogators, hostage negotiators, divorce mediators, diplomats and addiction counsellors. Whether it’s at work, at home, or in public, confronting our differences is the only way to make the most of them.
💸 Master your next funding round
When: 17 February 2021, 16:00 GMT
Access: free
Format: online session
SeedLegals has teamed up with Angel Investment Network to bring this event that shall teach you everything one needs to know to about securing investment. Learn from Anthony Rose, Founder & CEO of SeedLegals (and serial entrepreneur himself), and Ed Stephens, Director Brokerage at Angel Investment Network as they take you through what you’ll need to know, from valuations and building your captable, to finding investors and nailing your pitch. Alexej Pikovsky, CEO & Co-Founder of Alphagreen joining the conversation with perspective of his own experience fundraising.
🧑🚀 Journey Through Space with NASA Astronauts
When: 17 February 2021, 18:00 GMT
Access: free
Format: virtual space tour
Perseverance, NASA’s newest and most advanced rover, is on target to land on Mars on February 18, 2021. How did it get there and what might it reveal about our nearest planetary neighbor? Join former NASA astronauts Mary Cleave, Paul Richards, and Alvin Drew on a virtual field trip from Earth to Mars with stops in between to learn how this mission got off the ground and why it’s so significant for us back here on Earth. The tour will be piloted by Carter Emmart, the American Museum of Natural History’s Director of Astrovisualization, using OpenSpace, a NASA-funded open-source visualization software. Bring your questions to be answered on-screen and in the chat!
🌤️ Bill Gates — How to Avoid a Climate Disaster
When: 17 February 2021, 19:00 GMT
Access: £20 + fees
Format: online session
Well, if you are interested in environmental issues and appreciate an opportunity to ask Bill Gates a question in this area — this event is for you. In this livestream event, Bill Gates sets out a wide-ranging, practical — and accessible — plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid a climate catastrophe. And ticket price also includes his book “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster” (however, delivery is only in UK).
✌️ VivaTech Tour, Episode 1: Israel
When: 18 February 2021, 11:00 CET
Access: free
Format: online session
Viva Technology is on the launchpad and set to blast off June 16–19, 2021, and the VivaTech team is back on the road, hosting online meetups in the world’s most vibrant startup hubs. Imagine VivaTech distilled into an inspiration-packed hour of interviews, keynote talks, and startup pitches. The main ingredients of VivaTech’s next edition and 2021 Startup Challenges will be also revealed. Join the very first episode with exploration of Israel’s startup ecosystem.
🔥 WHAT’S NEXT with Laëtitia Vitaud
When: 18 February 2021, 12:30 CET
Access: free
Format: online session
When it comes to the future of work, the current crisis amplifies and accelerates opportunities and threats long in the making. It is accelerating the transition between the old and the new economic paradigms. In episode four Laëtitia Vitaud, author and Director at Cadre Noir Ltd, will focus on the five future-of-work-related issues that are currently in the spotlight.
⚡ [Sifted] Stay SaaSy: How to sell SaaS in a crowded market
When: 18 February 2021, 12:00 GMT
Access: free
Format: online session
2020 was the year of SaaS: from Zoom to Slack to Hopin, we couldn’t get enough of the tools that made remote work work. And neither could VCs, pouring a record 11bn EUR into SaaS startups across Europe in 2020. Join this Sifted panel of experts in the discussion about who is successfully selling SaaS, what VCs look for and how new players can elbow their way in.
⏩ Podim DX Satellite Event #1: 2021 from investors’ perspective
When: 18 February 2021, 19:00 CET
Access: free
Format: online session
PODIM, one of the key startup ecosystem events in Western Balkan countries, is starting their series of warm-up events: PODIM DX Satellite events. The first edition will focus on topic “2021 from investors’ perspective” and look into industries that are likely to thrive in 2021, important learnings from 2020, and investor perspective in addressing current challenges. Join Julien Coustaury from Fil Rouge Capital, Deepali Nangia from Speedinvest, and Carlos Eduardo Espinal from Seedcamp and find out what they think awaits us in 2021. The event will be moderated by Dejan Jovičević from Der Brutkasten. The event will be streamed on Podim’s Facebook page and on Der Brutkasten Facebook page, but if you want tp join Zoom meeting and ask questions — there are 50 places available upon filling in a registration form.
🎙️ Mainstage Virtual Summit 2021
When: 19 February 2021, 14:00 CET
Access: free
Format: online conference
The Mainstage Virtual Summit 2021 is presenting their stage to global speakers that will talk about different aspects of Sales, Fundraising, Innovation, and Ecosystem. This virtual conference is made up from 4 session, each split up into 4 tracks: Lightning talk, Round Table Q & A session to our Experts, Fireside chat, and Networking. And there will also be virtual booths for Mainstage Accelerator startups.
When: 21–23 February 2021
Access: free
Format: online conference
DLD starts with virtual kick-off of All Stars event and will be hosting inspirational speakers and role models from 15 years of DLD history. The speakers will present their call-to-action for 2021 in accordance with this year’s DLD motto, “What the World Needs Now…” Participation is free of charge. Make sure to register and block off some time in your calendar.
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