Skift Take
Apparently, we should all put a placeholder on July 7. As every tech platform and their grandmother races to amp up their content game, a number are also planning virtual events… on July 7. Whether this was an oversight or a strategic move, there’s bound to be a ton of great content!
Zoom fatigue already has audiences tuning out, and virtual events have left the landscape much more competitive by essentially negating the traditional barriers for entry.
The upshot: Even if you manage to come up with killer content, an engaging program, and a bonafide expert who can actually say something novel about the industry, you’re still not out of the woods: Someone else might swoop in and steal your date!
And if that date happens to be July 7, 2021, it’s already taken several times over.
What’s so special about July 7?
Well, in addition to being World Chocolate Day, July 7 marks a number of significant anniversaries. In 2007, the first Live Earth benefit event was held in 11 different locations. In 1992, the New York Court of Appeals gave women the right to go topless in public — exactly 536 years after Joan of Arc was acquitted of heresy. It was a July 7 when sliced bread was sold for the first time in 1928. Both Hawaii and Alaska joined the US on 7ths of July (in 1898 and 1958 respectively), and it was a fateful July 7 in 1954 when Elvis Presley hit the radio — 14 years to the day after the birth of Ringo Starr.
Perhaps that’s why July 7 was selected by no less than eight major industry players for the date of their next virtual event.
Afraid you might miss some great content? Us too. That’s why we’ve compiled all the events we could find along with the lowdown on each.
(Can’t make it to each and every one? Don’t worry, the sessions are probably being recorded.)
In no particular order, here are eight industry events happening on July 7.
Illuminate: A Hopin Experience
Organizers: Hopin
Format: Hybrid
Highlights:
- A conversation with the youngest Nobel Peace laureate, Malala
- Keynote on The Power of Ritual with Casper ter Kuile
Pitch: What’s next for the events industry? The future of events won’t be a return to the pre-pandemic past. Instead, in-person events will take on elements of online events to create new, immersive ways to bring vast, geographically distributed audiences together.
Evolve Homecoming – The Big Industry Comeback
Organizers: Swapcard
Format: Virtual
Highlights:
- Keynote speaker is Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO of Thrive Global and the founder of The Huffington Post
- Diverse group of speakers from the event industry
Pitch: 2021 is the year of the comeback. Buzzing to get back to in-person? Enjoying the comforts of virtual? Perhaps you’re taking on the brave new world of hybrid. Whatever you’re up to, this 2-day Evolve event’s got you covered.
IMEX BuzzHub – July Buzz Day
Organizers: IMEX (inked to Swapcard’s Evolve Homecoming)
Format: Virtual
Highlights:
- A promise of “extreme innovation”
- Crossover event with Swapcard’s Evolve Homecoming – The Big Industry Comeback event
Pitch: The global business event industry’s first ever co-located virtual event: a collaboration between IMEX’s BuzzHub and Swapcard’s Evolve Homecoming – The Big Industry Comeback. This crossover is a chance to enjoy high value, carefully curated content and exceptional speakers in two places at once.
2021 Canadian Event Awards Gala
Organizers: Canadian Special Events Magazine
Format: Hybrid
Highlights:
- Shot on location at a studio in Toronto, and from the iconic Casa Loma mansion in Toronto
- Hybrid component in the form of a live catered watch party in Calgary
Pitch: The biggest night in the Canadian event industry is happening July 7, 2021, when the Canadian Event Awards deliver a night filled with powerful stories, world-class entertainers along with some of your favourite industry personalities, and, of course the crowning of Canada’s best event professionals for 2021.
Re-Engage Virtual
Organizers: Airmeet
Format: Virtual
Highlights:
- July 7 is the second of two event days spread a week apart
- Our very own Miguel Neves is a speaker in a very diverse line-up
Pitch: The challenging role of organising events has been made even more complicated with organisers having to plan virtual differently and having to adapt to the new digital reality. Data can offer organisers the knowledge and understanding and can help organisers think quantitatively about their event. Join us to find out more…
Future Forward: Event Design for Change
Organizers: MPI
Format: Virtual
Highlights:
- Focus on DEI and sex trafficking
- 3 hours, 3 sets of speakers
Pitch: In the past two years, the world has demonstrated that event professionals are necessary to enact real change. This is especially true when it comes to designing experiences that create safe and equitable environments for attendees of events large and small. Join us as we spend an afternoon discussing the critical topics and how to address change in our event design.
Back To The Future Of Events
Organizers: Bevy
Format: Virtual (Apparently the first 100 registrants get a free lunch via eatNgage)
Highlights:
- Diverse line-up from the company that made headlines for diversity fundraising initiatives
- Virtual vs. in-person format debate
- Fireside chat with the co-creator of Back to the Future
Pitch: As the pandemic subsides, some are itching to go back to in-person experiences. While the format of events continues to evolve, our need for community won’t ever change. Learn about the hottest trends at the intersection of events and community.
PheedLoop Pathfinders Summit
Organizers: PheedLoop
Format: Virtual
Highlights:
- Announcing 10 new products and countless new features, almost all of which are designed for in-person and hybrid events!
Pitch: PheedLoop is sharing countless product updates, sneak previews, networking opportunities, industry education, games, prizes, musical entertainment, and more.
*Bonus event
Insane #EventProfs Week – After Party & Debrief
Organizers: Twine / Anh Nguyen
Format: Virtual
Highlights:
- Social event to debrief on what everyone learned at all the other events happening that week on a platform designed with audience engagement in mind (see you there!)
Pitch: After a busy week full of amazing events being hosted by Swapcard, Hopin, Bevy, IMEX, CSE, Airmeeet and MPI, we wanted to have a little casual, wrap up, debrief party. Come share which event you went to, discuss learnings, compare notes and just unwind. We promise no heavy brain work so bring a cocktail if the timing works (I mean, it’s always 5’o clock somewhere!)
