Page 48 - Payout Magazine Online Vol. 10.03 - XBiz LA Photos! Bruce Friedman Innerview! Articles & More!

with expo areas, dinners and parties. You
48 PAYOUTMAGAZINE
be sent to print, it’s artwork that needs to be
know if you’re sending good employees they readied for a virtual booth or the website itself.
will get business from such an event. But here
we were facing interesting questions, being a People register later to an online event
completely unique convention, like What is a then for normal event. Just like when you
virtual booth? What is a stage? Will I actually get an invitation on Facebook to someone’s
get some business from it? How do I enter the birthday party, you wait until the last minute to
event? mark if you are coming or not.
Our decision was made from the Many people came back to us, thanking
beginning: make it free for everyone and us for doing this and told us they did good
focus on educating the industry on attending business during AWMeetup. This makes our
virtual summits. We knew we were the first job so much more worth it. We could have
one, but many other events would need to do failed, and we were ready to fail, but we were
something similar later. overjoyed that this small idea turned out, with
such a big outcome.
Offering free virtual expo booths attracted
a lot of companies, and with that came a lot of Even though our Industry was not hit
attendees. We started this three weeks before as hard by the virus, we maybe need more
the event, and it turned out to be some of the than ever to meet up virtually, to exchange
busiest weeks we have ever had. It was very ideas on how we can get out of this stronger
than ever. We do know that not everyone in
clear that our small gathering had turned into
a big one, with people registering from all over business is doing great, and we should have
ideas and plans to be able to help that part of
the world.
the industry as well. Some of us have family or
friends affected by the virus. Some of us lost
Two days before the AWMeetup, we had someone we know or someone close to us,
over 500 attendees registered, over 60 expo and this takes time to heal.
booths and more than 20 guest speakers
ready to share their knowledge. It truly felt like The world is undergoing huge change at
a Wayne’s World moment, where Jim Morrison the moment. While writing this article, there
came to Wayne in a dream and says, “Book are crazy scenes in the US with a demand for
them, and they will come.” And then they justice. It’s going to take some time before we
actually did. can have a normal summit again.
By the first day of the event, another AWSummit just postponed to 2021 and we
300 people had gotten to know about it and aim to make it the greatest Industry event in
jumped in, and when the whole event was the world (as we always do).
done, over 1000 people had attended the first
ever AWMeetup. But until then, we’re thinking we should
organize another AWMeetup, as requested by
So what are some of the takeaways from so many attendees who loved the first edition
AWMeetup? of the show.
We learned that doing a virtual event Before that decision is made, however,
demands the same amount of work and those who were there and those who were
planning as a normal event. Thousands not can come to https://www.AWMeetup.
of emails were answered and even more com/ to get the latest information and see
Skype and Messenger conversations were some videos from our industry experts from
conducted. If it’s not banners that need to the first edition.