Attending trade events from the comfort of your home or office is on the horizon. Organizations are debuting online industry gatherings starting soon for viewing at a computer or phone near you in coming weeks in an effort to connect in an age of social distancing.

The Smart Fabrics Virtual Summit 2020 serves as prime example of this shift in industry fairs. Originally slated to convene in Washington, DC, the conference will now “take place” via webinar format. Summit 2020 is hosted by The Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI), the U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of Textiles, and Apparel (OTEXA) as government sponsor. Previously established dates for the Summit remain unchanged – April 16-17, 2020 – although the world around us certainly has.

Industry events targeting the media are also being re-tooled and updated. For example, a livestreaming global conference called REVEAL was recently announced. The event will serve as a launchpad for 20/21 products and brand presentation for the active lifestyle, outdoor and cycle markets. Produced in collaboration between ECHOS, OutsidePR and Evan Dudley, co-founder of Outpost Trade, Reveal will be hosted at Camp Navarro, Mendocino, Calif., with brand managers either on-site or online for live brand presentations and Q&A. Producers described their end goal of providing an experience that “authentic, useful and efficient.” Dates are April 29th and 30th, 2020.