Two experts in events careers coaching and recruitment - who ran a ‘talent clinic’ activation at the long-awaited C&IT Recovery Forum – are among agency chiefs who have seen a significant shift in skills to virtual and hybrid, with a perception of a skills gap.

Businesses that make gains in difficult moments are the ones that win when the good times roll, according to the directors of new agency Lemon Lane.

Food waste and sustainability had the potential to fall down the pecking order and become one of the main causalities of the pandemic, new research from venue sourcing company Lime Venue Portfolio shows.

Questions remain about what hybrid is beyond a buzzword and on who is actually making money from the year’s most talked-about trend, according to Jasper Donat, CEO of digital media company Branded.

MICE tourism is essential to economic recovery, according to the director of travel trade for Visit Norway, Frode Aasheim, who talks to C&IT about why the Scandinavian nation has committed to a 50% reduction in carbon.

The win is being followed up by a recruitment drive and a shadowing scheme to get event professionals back into work, according to David Ball who is the founder and CEO of the creative agency Brandfuel.

Businesses have had to rethink how they do sales and marketing, while the pandemic has transformed event and experiential marketing, according to Pico’s vice president of strategy and global activation Tyronne O’Callaghan.

The VAK learning theory is being tested at events to laser in on engagement, according to Cheerful Twentyfirst creative producer Elena Clowes, who explains how it boosted registrations and what it means for comms.

Following a bold prediction over the November showcase in Las Vegas, IMEX CEO Carina Bauer explains why she’s confident one of the industry’s headline events will go ahead and - almost as importantly - what it will look like.

While The Worthy Farm stand-in boasts a setlist that includes Coldplay, Damon Albarn, HAIM, IDLES, Jorja Smith, Kano, Michael Kiwanuka, Wolf Alice, and DJ Honey Dijon, it could have had much further reach, according to Rob Nash, managing director of the 4 Roads agency.

The power of group travel still centres on strengthening relationships, as well as boosting engagement and motivation levels, according to Caroline Lumgair Wiseman, managing director of global event agency Eventful and incentives expert Holly Mills.

General manager Andrew Coney of The Hari hotel in Belgravia, central London, reveals how he's managed to stay positive during the pandemic, helped staff remain upbeat, all while working with the local community and charities. 

There was "nothing more important" that the venue could be doing than helping the industry to recover, says ACC Liverpool’s managing director Faye Dyer.

Overcoming the challenges of reopening and managing restrictions while putting on a welcoming event for delegates was the first step back to business, says the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre general manager.

After a year of turbulence, agencies are now being valued more than ever as the future for events unfolds - with new tech insights and a changed mindset around content, according to the director of in2events Gavin Farley.

The world has come to depend on healthcare and pharma as never before, says Jo Hull, director of health at global brand agency Jack Morton - who explains what this means now for meetings and events.

New data research shows the differences between live, virtual and hybrid events and what we can learn from them, according to the managing director of the event platform and research agency Explori.

An artificial intelligence that can write poetry will form the centrepiece of the UK Pavilion installation at the delayed Expo 2020 Dubai, which will now run from October 2021 to March 2022.

A bespoke virtual events platform with a live training course for the National Police Chief’s Council: National Cyber Crime Programme was the key to the success of an event organised in lockdown, says Faye Alexander, director of Alexander Events and KES Online.

Creating brand fans by building experiences and incentives in a meaningful and lasting way is key, says Andrew Rae, founder and managing director of new agency Another Way.

Big questions are being asked around events, meetings and work - as clients make commitments towards economic recovery, says the managing director, vice president at George P. Johnson Experience Marketing.

A futurologist and executive creative director at INVNT discuss how brands, organisations and businesses can better prepare for what’s coming next.

Preparations of a full rollback of events are well underway, according to global agency CWT Meetings & Events, with some regions like Australia already hosting small scale meetings.

Paul Stanway, Creative Director XYZ talks about one of the agency’s most recent projects for Levi's and its latest collection, with an experience that began in December and continued into the holiday period.

Scotland has renewed its focus on the far-reaching impact of MICE on all walks of life as it hosted an event that also looked at preparations being made for the return to live meetings and conferences.

Whether it’s working with celebs like Trevor Noah and Matthew McConaughey, or tech giants like Amazon and LinkedIn, emc3’s head of business development Josh King explains why there’s more to digital than filming live events.

As Top Banana announces it has joined the TBA Group, both company CEOs reveal their big takeaways from the last 12 months, and say they are ‘cautiously optimistic’ events will come bouncing back.