Here is your weekly roundup of news from the virtual and hybrid event industry from June 12-18, 2021!

Smyle Group acquires gaming events company NJ Live

The deal brings the London-based company, NJ Live into the Smyle Group of companies. This Acquisition offers an opportunity for growth and cross-pollination of ideas, skills, and ideas. Today, the four-time agency of the year, Smyle Group, announces that it has acquired gaming and esports-focused events company NJ Live for an undisclosed sum. The deal is effective immediately and will see both companies capitalize on each other’s strengths as part of a post-pandemic growth strategy. For the full story, click here!

Kendal Calling and Bluedot founders launch training placement for young black, Asian, and minority ethnic promoters

A training placement has been launched for young black, Asian and minority ethnic music promoters. The program which launches later this year is supported by the Youth Music’s incubator fund. The Manchester-based agency is the team behind award-winning festivals Kendal Calling and Bluedot, in addition to cutting-edge electronic music brands, and arts and culture events including Arts By The Sea. For the full story, click here!

New research shows 1 in 2 event planners struggling with the volume of data collected from virtual events

Due to the large amount of data collected from virtual events over the last year, 50 percent of event planners are struggling to keep up. The majority of these companies have stated that they are now collecting more data than ever before. The results also show that 82% of organizers feel that good data practices are going to be critical in running successful hybrid events. For the full story, click here!

Twine announces $3.3m in new funding and “Cyber Cafe” product release

Twine announced $3 million in seed funding. The company that offers networking solutions for virtual, hybrid, and in-person events also announced the launch of its new ‘Cyber Cafe’, which involves a small group networking format. For the full story, click here!

Event Tech Live wows US & Canada

The first Event Tech Live, US & Canada ended last Thursday 10th June. The content kept on shining throughout the event, Top Tech to Embrace to Achieve Effective Gamification and Back to the Future, Perhaps among the sessions, and Canapii winning gold in the coveted Start-Up Competition. Grand Review Research believes that the virtual events industry will grow from $78 billion to $774 billion by the end of 2030 meaning that events such as Event Tech Live are so important in celebrating the biggest and the best of the events industry. For the full story, click here!

Event Industry Associations announces new Diversity and Inclusion hub

Event industry associations, the Association of Event Organisers (AEO), the Association of Event Venues (AEV), and the Event Supplier and Services Association (ESSA), have announced the launch of their new Diversity and Inclusion hub. The hub contains a variety of resources. Signposting articles, podcasts, case studies, blogs, and other materials aim to recognize, value, and promote diversity. The hub tackles inequality as we evolve to a consciously inclusive, welcoming, and progressive industry. For the full story, click here! And there you have it. Your weekly roundup of virtual and hybrid event news for the week of June 12-18. It was an eventful week filled with great ideas and plans for the future of hybrid events. For more blog posts about hybrid events, check out our blog post about Hosting a Hybrid Event For Your Association? Here are 5 Things To Consider.