Clubhouse has buzz, but social audio isn’t as simple as it looks. The most promising marketing use cases are for thought leadership, virtual events, and influencer marketing.

Here’s what the data suggests regarding a return to in-person events: many business travelers are cautiously weighing travel opportunities versus the often mixed bag that is virtual events.

Virtual events became mainstream because of the pandemic. But for long-term success, event organizers and sponsors need a new virtual event playbook with best practices across the event life cycle. Read this report for the checklist.

SXSW’s return reemphasized the importance of experiential marketing activations: Prime Video and others made big splashes, though pandemic-era virtual experiences remain.

As the spread of coronavirus forced event cancellations worldwide, the experiential marketing industry has had to adapt to a new culture of remote work and social distancing. Companies like MAG Experience, a New York-based experiential marketing agency, acknowledge the tough road ahead but see an opportunity to bolster their virtual events and innovate new offerings for clients.

On today's episode, we discuss in-person events in 2021, how to put on an engaging hybrid conference, and how to consider making money from virtual events. We then talk about Twitch's "Brand Safety Score," new ads envisioning post-pandemic life, and TV makers leaving no ad spot unturned. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer principal analyst at Insider Intelligence Jillian Ryan.

On today's episode, we discuss how LinkedIn is evolving, how successful its creator initiative can be, whether its upcoming social audio platform can compete with Clubhouse, and how user growth and ad revenues are performing. We then talk about whether we can expect nearly all events this year to be virtual, making B2B events more appealing, and how robots can make our lives easier in the office. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer principal analyst at Insider Intelligence Jillian Ryan.

eMarketer principal analysts at Insider Intelligence Mark Dolliver, Jeremy Goldman, Jillian Ryan, and Debra Aho Williamson discuss their expectations for the media world next year: federal privacy regulation, a retail media trio to challenge the duopoly, the next iteration of virtual events, social entertainment's staying power, and more.

Most in-person events have been canceled, and as continued concerns around face-to-face meetings increases, companies will likely be pivoting to virtual gatherings—even for intimate dinners and cocktail hours with clients.

eMarketer principal analyst Yory Wurmser and forecasting analyst at Insider Intelligence Eric Haggstrom speak about what types of federal and state-level regulation might be coming up, including privacy laws and updates of Section 230. They also discuss who's watching Twitch, who isn't watching sports, and Apple easing off its 30% fee for some virtual events.

It’s now easier to reach a considerably wider audience thanks to virtual events. But to garner a strong ROI, event sponsors need to be proactive in generating leads and solid data.