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NEWSLETTER 156
 
VIRTUAL EVENTS GROUP
 

My guidance counselor never had this on my options list. Goldman Sachs analysts say that 50 million people around the world now work as creators, and the industry’s total consumer demand has jumped to about $250 billion this year.

 
 
 
 
 
 
DECEMBER 14 | 3PM EDT | ZOOM
 
The Changing Face of Work
 
Before the pandemic we schlepped to the office. During the pandemic we stayed at home. What now? Hybrid arrangements of all sorts. Join us on Dec.14th when Tracy Judge will unveil the results of the study her company did in partnership with Temple University. Then Chris Bent will show us how to draw together. It’s like Bob Ross meets high tech. Register today.
 
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FEATURED STORY
 
Did AI Generate the Sam Altman Script or Did Microsoft?
 
 

If I could be a fly on the wall at one person’s Thanksgiving dinner, it would be Sam Altman’s. Last Friday his Board gave him the boot, vaguely citing his lack of transparency but not offering much detail. Mira Murati, the company’s CTO and a legend in her own right, took over as interim CEO of OpenAI. But Sam’s staff, executives, and investors fought to have him reinstated. 


Now, Altman is headed to a new job heading up AI for Microsoft. Emmett Shear, the former Twitch CEO, will take over at OpenAI. Microsoft, the company that that owns 49% of OpenAI and has reportedly invested more than $13 billion in the venture, now has Altman as its direct employee. Wait, wait! That was yesterday. Today, as I was about to hit publish, I learned that Altman is back at OpenAI by popular demand. What is your prediction for the next surprise in this affair?


Altman’s movements can move markets. Microsoft’s stock price took a hit when his exit from OpenAi was announced. There’s been an MS stock uptick now that he and co-founder Greg Brockman have been hired by Microsoft. 


One thing is certain. Someone is already writing the screenplay (are you listening, Aaron Sorkin?). Another certainty, the culture of tech boards needs to be reexamined.


 
 
Meow Wolf Reality Goes Metaverse
 
 
 
Meow Wolf Walkabout Mini Golf Launches December 7th 
Image Credit: YouTube
 
 

Meow Wolf, the immersive art installation, is the closest thing to a real-world metaverse. A visit to its expansive space is like a mushroom trip minus the mushrooms. And unlike other theme parks, its narrative and storytelling guides the journey.. Now Meow Wolf is going digital with Walkabout Mini Golf. You’ll need an Oculus Meta Quest to play. One more reason to put Quest on your holiday list. Take a look behind the scenes at how narrative, gaming, and art can live in both virtual and real worlds.

 
 
WEEKLY
 
Scuttlebutt
 
 
 
WebSummit Returns to its Startup Roots
Big companies can and should take a stand on what they’ll support or not. Startups are more likely to suck it up and accept funds from wherever they come from. That’s the story behind this year’s WebSummit in Lisbon. When Paddy Cosgrove, the outspoken CEO and founder of WebSummit, made pro-Palestinian/anti-Israel comments, he was forced out of the show just a few weeks before its start. Companies including Google, Meta, Stripe, Intel, and Siemens pulled out of the show as did some high profile VC investors. 


At the end of the day, the Summit was well attended, breaking records with numerous startups and more than 70,000 attendees. The question is whether Katherine Maher, the new CEO, can entice the large sponsors back or whether WebSummit will learn to exist on startups alone. 

 
 

And the Sparrow Will Sing Again 
There’s an Edith Piaf (the Sparrow of Paris) AI-generated biopic in the works at Warner Music. Thanks to generative voice AI, Piaf will narrate her own story. Warner Music Group is working with Seriously Happy, a production company, to develop the biopic. AI was trained on hundreds of clips, voice recordings, and images. Apparently, the dead and the famous can now live on in perpetuity.

 
 

Creator Industry and Math
Alfred Poor, our Technical Editor, says that I’m sometimes swayed by numbers. Take the number at the start of this newsletter — the one that says the Creator Industry is worth $250 billion dollars per year with 50 million creators. Alfred writes, “I found those big numbers to be impressive, but then my skeptic analytic gene kicked in." Let’s do the math: $250,000,000,000 divided by 50,000,000 comes out to an average of $5,000 a year. For those of you who remember your high school math, that’s the mean average. The median average is certain to be significantly lower. That’s because the top creators bring in way more than the mean average; Mr. Beast earned an estimated $82 million this year (according to Forbes). In fact, the Forbes Top Creator List indicates that 50 creators earned $700 million combined. That leaves a lot of people making less than that $5,000 per year average.


In the end, there are a few high-earning creators and a lot of low-earners, just as is the case for many industries including real estate, the arts, and professional sports. For me, there are two take-aways. First, the Creator Economy is indeed growing and represents some serious money. But second, don’t quit your day job just yet.

 
 
 
And now for your moment of Thanksgiving poetry with and without ChatGPT
 

May your turkey have enjoyed its life
Before it graced your platter.
And if you’ve been part of the news cycle’s rollercoaster,
Enjoy a respite from the clatter.

Find the thing that makes you grateful.
Hold it tight and hard.
Then spread your arms and let it go

To share it far and wide.

Virtual or in real life, we’ll see you in the future.
Don’t forget to join us on December 14th
When our Work from Home event will amuse ya. 


**** Not Generated by ChatGPT
 
 

There once was a group with a feat,
To build meetings both savvy and neat.
With a gobble and grace,
They gathered to embrace,
Thanksgiving agendas, a collaborative treat!

**** Generated by ChatGPT

 
 
 
 
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Robin Raskin | Founder
917.215.3160 | robin@virtualeventsgroup.org

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917.608.7542 | gigi@virtualeventsgroup.org