Issue 1  February 23 2021

I don't want to alarm you, but

...it's almost March, again. As we all mark our personal COVID-versary dates (mine is the 13th), March is also the anniversary of my first in-person event switched to virtual - The Microsoft MVP Summit.

Last March, as the world started shutting down due to COVID, we were less than three weeks away from the annual Microsoft MVP Summit. The easy thing for Microsoft to do was to cancel the event. Instead, they pushed themselves to try something new and pivoted the event to a virtual one using Teams.

And they pulled it off. It mostly worked. It wasn't the same, but it wasn't horrible. A solid

Next week Microsoft Ignite is taking place only six months after the last version. If you are reading this and wondering what Ignite is, I would describe it as Google I/O except Ignite actually happens. (Seriously, how is it possible for Google, of all companies, cannot host a virtual event?)

Last week I noticed AWS re:Invent is planning on being in Las Vegas this December. An optimistic timeframe, I believe. Even if the majority of people are vaccinated by then (unlikely), and Vegas is coated in hand sanitizer (somewhat possible), I don't believe corporations have set aside budget for employees to attend events in 2021.

Hospitality, airlines, and industry events have all thrived for years as a result of corporate spending. Those dollars have dried up, and won’t return to the same levels for quite some time. Even before the pandemic I saw signs of shrinking expo floors at many events. I don't know what AWS expects to happen in December, but I would be surprised if re:Invent was the same size as years past.

Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to events taking place in the physical world again. I think many of you reading this are also fond of going places and doing things.

But for now, I'd like to get through March 383rd, and into April.