The old curse has come true: we are “living in interesting times.” None of us could have possibly foreseen the way that 2020 has evolved, least of all, conference professionals. Gartner says it’s taking a $158 million hit in its Q2 revenues; O’Reilly went one huge step further, permanently shuttering its in-person events business. Aside from those gatherings, an entire slew of security meetings has moved into the virtual realm. In-person conferences during the pandemic are seen as being too hazardous and unsafe. It's now better to meet online than to risk spreading the virus.