Let's get digital... digital: Microsoft Ignite switches to online-only as 2020's tech calendar clears

Microsoft has switched its September Ignite event to a digital affair even as other organisers hope for a return to some semblance of "normal" by August. Planned to take place in New Orleans in September, Microsoft's Ignite event is a big deal for the company and attracts tens of thousands of attendees. Those lucky ticket- …

[Pascal Monett]

Venues

Their future is indeed dark. If I'm not mistaken, even in good times they're not rolling in dough and, right, now, they are cursed and avoided at all costs.

I hope the people who make their living in that market manage to pull through.

That said, concerts are not going to disappear any time soon, so they have a chance, I think, at survival.

[Scott 26]

But how will vendors get my email address by enticing me with a shiny new pen?

[veti]

Well, you know those "leave a business card" jars at Starbucks'...?

[Erik4872]

No more massive conventions?

I wonder what's going to become of in-person events. They're so much more than the actual event for the place hosting them...they drive tons of hotel stays, expense account meals, bar tabs, certain..."service" industries, and air travel. The salesier they are, the more extracurricular activities, but all conventions bring in lots of tourist money.

Same thing goes for massive convention halls. Every time I go to any in-person event in these massive buildings, I'm reminded of how different things are now. Back in the day, the ONLY way to learn about WidgetCo's new line of valves and fittings would be to have your purchasing team attend ValveCon '83. WidgetCo's sales reps would give out free passes if you were a good enough customer. Once they had you on-site, their job was to lure you in with enough food, alcohol and fresh-from-school marketing graduates until you signed a contract for 100,000 valves. I can almost see the junior salesperson rushing down the cavernous hallways to FedEx his freshly-signed contract that would get him off the convention circuit and into the head office.

It's just a very different business climate now, pandemic aside. Now junior salespeople cold call IT folks and beg them to "jump on a quick call" so they can deliver the same webinar they've done 45 times that week and hopefully get a nibble. No expensive flights, hotels, or sexist trade show booth displays needed.