How Online Gatherings Are Filling The Gaps Left By Canceled Events

From webinars to online musical performances, people stuck at home are finding ways to stay connected.

By Shelly BrisbinMarch 19, 2020 7:30 am, ,

With gatherings of any size canceled for the duration of the coronavirus emergency, many people, including the technologists and entrepreneurs who had planned on being in Austin for South by Southwest this week, have been finding ways to connect online. These internet-only events range from web-based seminars to a virtual brunch in which participants actually cook on camera for those watching at home. 

Tech expert Omar Gallaga wrote about these virtual gatherings for the Austin American-Statesman. He says they began as a way to bring South by Southwest, or SXSW, content to those stuck at home. But now, the concept has become a way for people to stay connected beyond the festival. 

“A lot of people staying at home … for whatever reason, are still desperate for that connection, or still want to be talking to other people and making those business networking opportunities and just having that human contact,” Gallaga says.

What you’ll hear in this segment:

– How people are finding online meetups and gatherings

– What happened at virtual brunch

– What kinds of events are happening online

– How online events could become the new normal