Conference News: Davos Decision; VERGE event; MWC CFP
Deciding on Davos: The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, like many other gatherings scheduled to happen during the pandemic, has altered its plans several times since the last fully in-person meeting in January of 2020. They had hoped to host a “twin” (both in person and virtual) summit in January 2021. Then they moved the Forum to Singapore to be held in May of this year… then postponed it to August. They have hosted successful virtual gatherings including last week’s Sustainable Development Impact Summit. Plans are now taking shape for the 2022 Annual meeting, which will return to Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, and be held in-person from 17-21 January. The 2022 theme is appropriately, Working Together, Restoring Trust.
The Verge Celebrates IRL: Vox Media has announced that it is bringing back its first in person event since the pandemic later this month! On The Verge will be the first tentpole event for The Verge to celebrate its 10-year anniversary. Taking place on October 23rd at Spring Studios in NYC, the event will feature a combination of mainstage interviews, demos, talks, and other experiences “to highlight the publication’s coverage over the last decade and to shine light on what the next ten years hold.” They are expecting to have approximately 1,000 attendees onsite.
Speaking Opportunity: Mobile World Congress is where the digital and connectivity ecosystems come together, and in 2022 MWC returns to its late-winter timing in Barcelona for the first time in two years. The program – running 28 February through 3 March and produced by the GSMA – will cover these thematic tracks: AI, Customer Experience, Connected Industry, Creative Technology, Connectivity, Future Society, and Start-Up Innovation through the 4 Years From Now/4YFN stage. Proposing a speaker? Submit by 15 October. To ensure that MWC is a platform for all voices, the organizers implore all participating organizations to consider submitting leaders who may identify as belonging to underrepresented groups.
Lunchtime Learning: The 19th is an independent, nonprofit newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy. In August 2021 they held their 2nd Annual 19th Represents Summit which explored why representation matters in democracy, sports, business, culture and voting. If you were not able to watch virtually when it first aired, you are still able to catch the inspiring sessions on YouTube. Listen in on conversations with leaders such as legend Billie Jean King, Priscilla Chan, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Adele Lim, Co-Writer, “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Raya and the Last Dragon,” and Secretary Deb Haaland, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Coming Up Next Week: Anyone can register for free to attend general sessions at VMworld, the flagship multi-cloud conference that will run virtually across the globe 5-7 October. Geekwire Summit (4-5 October) returns with a hybrid program for 2021, bringing together business, tech, and community leaders in the PNW for inspiring discussions about the future, both online and at Block 41 in Seattle. Attendees of the International Economic Forum of the Americas’ IEFA World Strategic Forum can participate online, in Miami, or in Brazil when that event gets underway 4 October. Expect to hear from senior executives on the central role of the Americas and in the global market. At the Experiential Marketing Summit (5-7 October; Chicago), b-to-b and b-to-c marketers connect for long-awaited networking and best practice sharing. American Marketing Association’s AMA Marketing Week kicks off 4 October, offering its members a chance to refocus on their challenges with inspiration and peer collaboration. Lastly, ConnectX will run 4-7 October in Orlando and is designed to unite the entire networking, services, and supplier ecosystem under one roof.