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Question: How much did Amazon save on travel expenses during the pandemic? (Answer at bottom.) |
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| April 21 | 4pm EDT | ZOOM |
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Learn about the Impact of events on the planet in our upcoming Town Hall, moderated by Sherry Huss:
- Bob Priest-Heck will discuss the COP26 initiative and the role of logistics companies in reducing the carbon footprint of events
- Shawna McKinley created a digital event calculator to spotlight carbon usage of digital events
- Amanda Simons’ company Honeycomb Strategies works with event venues to create efficient and unique programs
- Jacqueline Tran addresses climate issues as Director of Energy and Sustainability at the Javits Center in New York
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| 2D or 3D: That is the Question |
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The industry is on an incredible trajectory towards creating immersive 3D worlds in metaverse-like settings, but before sinking the company budget into realistic landscapes and shiny 3D objects, you need to think long and hard about what you’re trying to accomplish.
Generally speaking, 3D events cost more because you’re rendering elaborate scenery, but they do create a more immersive experience. 2D, best described as flat, usually live video conversations, is more like watching videos, but the 2D platforms are more robust when it comes to integration of things like polling, networking and analytics. 3D will need more
hand-holding from the vendor; 2D can be mastered pretty quickly. |
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Zoom is a good example of a 2D platform. |
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rooom’s 3D landscapes are more than just pretty. They let you explore objects up close and personal. |
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Here’s my two cents. If your presenters and content are top notch then skip the theatrics, save yourself some time and expense, and stay in 2D. If you’re doing a product showroom, a sales demo or something where immersion is central to the experience, you’ll have a great result with 3D. And for apres-event parties, 3D environments with avatars are such a hoot.
But mark our words, the tools for creating vibrant 3D worlds will quickly come down in price, and just as quickly become easy enough for mere mortals to use. This week Nvidia showed how it is able to quickly convert 2D images to 3D. And we all
remember Mark Zuckerberg’s fantastic demo of verbally describing a scene (such as this beach scene) and having it render. So don’t go hog wild on 3D yet, but do check out the platforms and
tools in our database. Check out this wonderful series called two minute papers that showcase how neural networks and AI turn stick figure doodles into stunning art.
- 2D environments include Zuddl, WebEx Live, Hopin, Hubilo, and Brella
- 3D environments include rooom, Virbela, Topia, NewSky XR
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Do a drawing in the rough and it turns to a stunning mountain landscape on the right. Image credit: Nvidia. |
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| WIll Facebook Die a Natural Death? |
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Facebook has earned its share of haters by doing some amazingly thoughtless things. Just a few of these include Cambridge Analytics, keeping embarrassing research (on harming kids, for instance) hidden, making YOU its monetization strategy, and allowing election and COVID misinformation.
But, as I’ve often said, Meta is more likely to die from attrition than legislation. TikTok is adding new users almost as fast as Facebook is losing them. TikTok appeals to everyone from TikTots (under age 8) to their young moms and dads. Facebook, nostalgically, has become a place for oldsters to rehash the past. My prediction is that Facebook will
atrophy and that Meta—like Moses—will lead folks to the promised land (of the metaverse) but then step over to the other side. I’d love your thoughts. |
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| LinkedIn Looks at The Funnel of Events |
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As LinkedIn becomes more of a serious event platform, it published a series of predictions and research about the continuation of virtual events in 2022. The LinkedIn platform now has a robust set of event features,
with the secret sauce being the ability to widen your network by inviting groups or forming your own group.
A downloadable LinkedIn Booklet offers valuable insight on how to rethink events. It looks at the emerging hybrid scene as a funnel. “We’re likely to see virtual and physical
events taking on distinct and complementary roles within marketing strategies. Virtual events work best for targeting the upper funnel, engaging a wider audience while making far fewer demands of their time, and doing so over a longer timeframe through live video and on-demand follow-ups. This will free in-person events to focus more on lower-funnel objectives,
prioritizing quality time with buyers.” |
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The Oscars might have gone for the good old fashioned stage fight, but The Recording Academy went for a very different effect. In partnership with Mastercard, it teamed up with Roblox to bring a Grammy experience to the Metaverse. There were avatars to meet and greet,
virtual merchandise, and performances from Grammy winners. Seems like a smarter way to attract young viewers than a slap match. |
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Image Credit: The Recording Academy |
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Open Source Platforms
Open source has a lot of benefits, including free, and the fact that you can modify it to your liking. Things get a little trickier when it comes to finding support. Here’s an interesting open source virtual events platform called Jitsi. |
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Did Anyone Pick April 1st to Send Out a Press Release?
I’m still trying to decipher which ones were real. Our personal fav was the announcement of the MBA (Metaverse Business Accelerator) from a company called Dentaverse. It promised mentoring by Siri, Mark Zuckerburg and a Steve Jobs brought back to life through the power of AI. Plus free
crypto for signing up. |
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Metacademy
It’s becoming pretty obvious that when it comes to the future, the world is divided into two camps: hucksters and true experts. In an effort to clear the fog, Shelly Palmer, a long time trusted voice in the industry, is creating Metacademy, a free
resource. |
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Missed an issue of the newsletter? Is there a news story that gave you a brain worm? You can find it on our new(ish) VEG Blog.
Do you have a product that belongs in the VEG Marketplace? Our members are always looking for cameras, mics, green screens, and monitors. |
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ANSWER to QUESTION: 1 BILLION DOLLARS |
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