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VIRTUAL EVENTS GROUP
 

Who knew a kiddie-shaped block could be so enticing? Roblox now has 52.2 million daily active users, up 21% year over year.

 
 
 
 
 
 
September 15 | 3pm EDT | Zoom
 

School’s about to be in session and we all have some brushing up to do. We’ll supply the apples for the teacher, but you should bring your notebook (digital or otherwise) and get smart about what events will look like in the near future. 

 
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Geek out at Siggraph
 

The world of virtual events has become increasingly graphically rich. And the best way to learn about evolving graphical riches is by peeking into Siggraph’s annual conference. This year’s keynote, from Nvidia, announces a new graphics SDK designed to help developers create rich 3D graphics that behave according to the laws of physics. Geek out on Nvidia’s blog and learn how it’s advancing AI humans. (Yikes!)

 
 
 
Gaming is a Not a Sinking Ship, It’s a Submarine
 

Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo each reported a fall in quarterly video game sales. Ubisoft down. Electronic Arts down. Take-Two shares dropped after its annual forecast missed estimates. Activision underperformed even though it beat its competitors. According to NPD the entire ecosystem — hardware, accessories, and titles — is in sad shape. The main reason, according to analysts, is the post-pandemic fleeing from the house. 


But we think there’s more going on than meets the eye. There are way too many subscription-based gaming services: Xbox Game Pass (Microsoft), PlayStation Plus (Sony), Google Stadia, GeForce Now (Nvidia), Nintendo Switch Online, EA Play (Electronic Arts), Apple Arcade, and Amazon Luna. There are the (thankfully free) digital game storefronts and launchers: Valve’s Steam, Epic Games Store, and Activision Blizzard’s Battle.net. Even Netflix is now offering streaming gaming, though they suffer from marketing woes.


The silver lining? Gaming companies have a really valuable skill set that could be put to serious work (and revenue) in emerging industries. For example, we’re pretty excited about the Microsoft/Unity partnership because it blends cloud, metaverse and traditional gaming prowess. The gamification of everything from health to entertainment is crying out for good gaming engines. Metaverse gaming and the blockchain will reinvent what it means to game in a DeFi world. Advice to gaming companies? Just like your characters, you need to evolve or die. 

 
 
 
First Movers Continue Tokenizing their Events
 

We’ve sung the praises of events like Consensus, which issued tokens to attendees depending on how much they interacted with the conference and exhibits. The idea surfaced again in Toronto at the Blockchain Futurist Conference, Canada’s largest blockchain and crypto event. Produced by Untraceable Events, the conference featured the launch of UNNY, the Real Life Engagement Token that drives attendees to take action during the conference in exchange for tokens redeemable for things like food and VIP access, and even charity. Copy that!

 
 
 
The CHIPS Act Matters
 

President Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 this month. It’s a bipartisan bill that calls for investing billions in scientific research and domestic semiconductor manufacturing. Micron will invest $40 billion in U.S. chip manufacturing, which the company says will create 40,000 jobs. Intel will build a new plant in Albany and create more jobs in Ohio. Overall, it’s a great boon for American jobs and manufacturing. But companies like AMD and Nvidia both use offshore manufactured chips and will benefit less.

 
 
 
Scuttlebutt
 

New Course from Event Pros
Learn from the most respected names in the events world. (Extra VEG points if you can name the instructors.) The first ten VEG members to sign up will receive a 15% discount on the course. Just use the code RR15offLSG. The class, Launch Shift Go, is a two-week sprint covering what normally takes months to years for event tech firms and professionals to learn. 

 
 
 

Am I Missing Something? 
Malcolm Gladwell derides working from home, but isn’t that exactly what he does? I have not seen him at Starbucks.

 
 

Jake Paul’s Micro Idea 
What if you could bet on micro-moments at a sporting event? Like will Stephen Curry make that foul shot? That’s the idea behind Jake Paul’s new sports-gambling venture. The YouTube star and pro boxer sees a lot of money to be made in these micro-moments. He just raised $50 million for his idea.

 
 

Don’t Steal This Book, It’s Free
MAP Digital’s new ebook is super-thoughtful about how to create new revenue streams (hint: it’s digital) and to finally capture the long tail of events.  It’s a must-download.

 
 
 
We have limited availability for a few of our members to join Techonomy’s session on the metaverse. Drop a line to Gigi@virtualeventsgroup.org if you’re interested.
 
 
Hey there new members! 
 
We’re so happy to have you.  Michelle Bruno, Dahlia El Gazzar, vFairs and Augmented World Expo. Can’t wait to have your talents added to this group of pioneers. 
For Members Only: Don’t forget to sign up for the workshop of your choice as we prepare to tackle the event buisness’s thorniest problems this fall. 
 
 
 
South by Southwest
 
We hope to be heading to South by Southwest this year to talk about the metaverse and the future of events. Please vote for the panels you'd like us to be in.
 
 
Gamers Take Center Stage in Metaverse Creation
 
 
 
 
 
 
The End of Events, The Dawn of Engagements
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Robin Raskin  | Founder
917.215.3160 | robin@virtualeventsgroup.org

 

Julie Sylvester | Sales & Marketing

917.868.7160 | Julie@virtualeventsgroup.org