Join Cathy Hackl, the goddess of all things metaverse, and Alex Howland, CEO of Virbela, for a discussion of, and romp through, the Metaverse

As companies announce plans to cut business travel emissions in the next few years, airlines, hotels, rental car companies, and other industries catering to corporate travelers will feel the pain. Business travelers make up only 12% of airline passengers but generate 75% of revenues on certain flights.

Some executives predict that business travel will return to 85% of pre-pandemic levels, says Lindsey Roeschke, managing director for travel and hospitality analysis at Morning Consult. “Even if we do see a return to those levels,” she says, “that’s still a massive loss for the industry as a whole.” Time Magazine

Tightrope Walking
Philippe Petit would be biting his nails watching the events industry dangle in mid-air with virtual events to the right of them, physical events to the left of them, and the delicate path that lies in front of them. Julius Solaris, now at HopIn and a larger than life figure in the events business, sums up the big issues that we need to navigate through in this recent LinkedIn post.

For the past two years events have collectively been given “the pandemic pass.” If you showed up, weren’t zoom-bombed, and remembered to turn off mute you were a winner. Whether it’s saving on travel expenses, increased sustainability, or just more digestible content that is presented more effectively, the economies for going virtual are clear. But can it provide the delight and great business outcomes that come from meeting face-to-face?

The answer is right-sizing. Rather than look at your business on a meeting-by-meeting basis, start looking at a year of varied engagement. Take a cue from the omnichannel approach that retail or entertainment industries use and mix up your offerings: a live event (perhaps smaller and more intimate), a metaverse adventure, a podcast, a webinar, a virtual conversation. Like wines, these can be paired to the meal they are served with. Here’s a helpful model.

Shoptalk Continues to Talk 
Shoptalk has done an amazing job of converting their live events to carefully crafted one-on-one meetings. You fill in your details about who you’d like to meet and others do the same. As Shoptalk heads back to live events in March, they’re hanging on to what worked with a series of virtual conversations called Sundays with Shoptalk. It’s a great example of keeping the engagement going. 

Shoptalk used an elaborate matching system for one-on-one meetings and “table talks” during the pandemic.

When Google rebranded itself as Alphabet in 2015 it was also under scrutiny from government regulators, including antitrust inquiries over concerns that the company’s business stifled competition. But even after all these years, how many people know an Alphabet versus a Google? Now we’re waiting (and the bets are plentiful) for Facebook to announce their rebrand as a metaverse company.

Place your bets:

A: Bookface
B: FB Verse
C: MetaBook
D: Zuckerverse (or Suckerverse)
E: A name change ain’t gonna help

Do you have a favorite name of your own? Drop me a line at Robin@robinraskin.com

Augmented reality (AR) headsets, smartwatches, and voice-controlled homes were once the fantasies of books and movies. Today AR/VR, wearables, and smart home tech have passed the early-adoption phase and are all firmly part of the “mass market,” according to research that the International Data Corporation (IDC) shared today, as reported in Ars Technica. The global research firm predicted that the combined market will hit $369.6 billion by the end of 2021 and grow to $524.9 billion in 2025. IDC expects AR/VR to show the most growth, thanks to both businesses and individual consumers, especially gaming and training solutions. 

Pierre Omidyar, a man greatly respected for his philanthropy, is backing Facebook’s whistleblower, France Haugen, covering her legal costs and more. Now there is a Google whistleblower who is stepping forward. And, as you know, the state of Texas is rewarding citizen whistleblowers who turn in anyone seeking or performing an abortion. The question is, as it’s always been, when is whistleblowing in the best interest of the community and when is it a stepping-stone to a new career?

New York Fashion Week returned last month, but 27% of designers opted to keep their events virtual and 33% chose hybrid in-person/digital presentations, according to IMG. What will stats look like by January?