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In its earliest stages, the Covid-19 global pandemic forced business leaders everywhere to put domestic and international travel plans on hold and cancel their annual in-person conferences until further notice.

As creative virtual teams came to the rescue with alternative solutions that went off without a hitch, on-site events eventually returned, slowly, in the process. Although some executives may be hesitant about re-engagingeven after a few years, others are excited about their upcoming speaking engagements or networking prospects alongside longtime industry friends and peers they have missed.

Whether its sharing industry knowledge with the next generation of leaders, landing a feature interview for publication, or identifying a future potential business partner, the following Fast Company Executive Board members below are here to support their reasons for returning to the main stage as a guest panelist and how being back in the building is impacting their continued career growth.

1. GENERATE SALES

A couple of years ago, I was a guest panelist at an e-commerce event in New York, and one of the other speakers shared many of the same values as me. After the event, I made sure we connected to exchange contact information, and it turned out he owned a large sales agency. At the time, my offer was plateauing at around $250,000 a month. Three months later, I launched an offer using his sales team and I hit more than $1 million during my first month. Josh King Madrid, NFT Magazine NFTMagazine.com

2. MEET THE PRESS

Two years ago, I took part in a social impact panel for Deed. A writer from Forbes was in the audience, and they contacted me directly after via Linkedin, asking for an interview. If I hadnt put my nerves aside and stepped up for the panel, I would never have landed the article. You never know who might be in the audience and the impact they could make on your career. So, do the panel! Nina Rauch, Lemonade

3. MAKE THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS

Participation as a guest panelist can improve your growth in the market in a few ways. First, you are seen as a thought leader on the subject matter you speak on. Second, it builds awareness of you and your company to audiences who are unfamiliar. Third, it is an opportunity to establish connections and expand your network. You never know where your future client or partnership comes from. Jevon Wooden, Live Not Loathe

4. IMPROVE SELF-CONFIDENCE IN PUBLIC SPEAKING

Participating in industry events can be very beneficial for professional development in three ways. First, they allow you to hone your public speaking skills, whether on stage or just talking shop with your peers. Second, they are excellent forums to network and meet people who can be potential customers, partners, or future colleagues. Finally, they enable you to stay informed and learn new things. Chad Engelgau, Acxiom

5. GATHER NEW INSIGHTS

I have found that you are usually connected to a group of leaders that you might not normally get to meet on a regular basis. The conversations from those connections have led to insights that have helped push our own internal innovation. Mark Bryan, MA Design

6. SHARE A BOLD POV

The more you can share your point of view (POV), whether that be for the company or individually, the more you gain a following that relies on the type of thought leadership you bring. I find the best way to stand out and improve is to read the room and then be the one who is willing and bold enough to be different and unconventional versus the other panelists. Hold strong to your POV while doing this and then network afterward James Gilbert, RedRoute

7. BOIL DOWN KEY PRESENTATION POINTS

A boss of mine used to say, Pressure makes diamonds. And few things are as pressure-packed as standing in front of hundreds to deliver a presentation. But Ive learned to love that pressure. It forces me to boil my thoughts down to only the most powerful points, to balance advice and entertainment, and treat every moment on stage as a precious opportunity for my personal brand to shine. Barry Fiske, Merkle

8. IGNITE BRAND AWARENESS

Panel discussions can be tough for the inexperienced but can be powerful for growing a companys (or someones) personal brand. We use them all the time to gain international exposure in our industry. Train your internal staff to always ask, How did you learn about us? and then track the metrics on their effectiveness, because all conferences are not created equal. Dean Calhoun, Affygility Solutions

9. DEBATE HOT TOPIC STRATEGIES

The growth that stems from panel engagement is twofold. The participants will become even better at public speaking, presenting the companys strategy and debating hot issues, while also learning from others. Hearing different perspectives while expanding ones network and developing skill sets is a great way for leaders to engage with their professional community. Anna Malhari, Veris Residential

10. OBTAIN INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE

Participating in panels is a wonderful learning opportunity to engage in interactive dialogue that organically invites diverse topics, perspectives, experiences, and expertise. Panelists are a force multiplier, providing new connections across many networks with shared business objectives for cross-collaboration. Britton Bloch, Navy Federal

11. INCREASE SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWING

Being a panelist at conferences is a great way to get yourself or your company out there. Ive been a guest panelist at several conferences, which has allowed me to become more visible in the market as an individual and company. Ive also increased my social media following by over 200% because of the connections Ive made at these events. Kristin Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC

12. BUILD NEW RELATIONSHIPS

With a business that relies heavily on referrals, relationship building is essential. Often, I build these relationships in intimate settings, but I have also built powerful relationships by delivering keynotes to larger audiences. To connect in this setting, you need to bring your whole self to the stage and be just as honest and authentic as you would be were you talking to someone one on one. Camille Preston, AIM Leadership, LLC

13. STRENGTHEN YOUR REPUTATION AS A THOUGHT LEADER

Participating in a panel is a great way to build a thought leadership position for you and your company. I always try to record the panel (or ask for the recording) so I can share the questions and my answers on my personal and company social platforms and websites. This type of social proof helps people who dont know you want to learn more. And that is a win. Steve Anderson, Catalyit LLC

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13 reasons business leaders are ready to resume in-person networking - Fast Company

Snap's (SNAP 6.99%) stock popped nearly 9% on Aug. 31 after the company announced that it would lay off about 1,200 employees, or approximately 20% of its workforce, as it grapples with a severe slowdown.

Snap will discontinue its investments in its Snap Originals videos, its Minis mini-programs, its video games, and its Pixy selfie drone. It will also shut down its location-based social networking app Zenly, which it acquired in 2017, and its music creation app Voisey, which it bought in 2020.

In an internal memo, CEO Evan Spiegel said Snap's revenue had only risen about 8% year over year so far in the third quarter, which was "well below" its own expectations and would represent its slowest growth rate as a public company. Spiegel said Snap "must now face the consequences" of that slowdown and "adapt to the market environment."

Image source: Getty Images.

Spiegel said Snap's restructuring would focus its future on just "three strategic priorities: community growth, revenue growth, and augmented reality." Everything else would likely be cut. Two of Snap's top executives -- its chief business officer Jeremi Gorman and its vice-president for ad sales Peter Naylor -- also abruptly left the company and joined Netflixin that seismic shuffle.

That's a lot of information for Snap's investors to process, so let's take a breath and review its prior problems, its aggressive turnaround plans, and the potential challenges to see if its stock can recover over the next 12 months.

During Snap's investor day presentation last February, the company impressed the bulls by saying it could grow its annual revenue by more than 50% over the next few years. But since then, Snap's year-over-year growth in daily active users (DAUs), average revenue per user (ARPU), and total revenue have all significantly decelerated.

Period

Q2 2021

Q3 2021

Q4 2021

Q1 2022

Q2 2022

DAU growth (all figures YOY)

23%

23%

20%

18%

18%

ARPU growth (decline)

76%

28%

18%

17%

(4%)

Revenue growth

116%

57%

42%

38%

13%

Data source: Snap. YOY = year over year.

Snap's growth ground to a halt for three main reasons. First, it vastly underestimated the impact of Apple's privacy changes on iOS, which enabled its users to opt out of data-tracking features and ads.

Second, Snapchat likely lost a lot of its younger users to ByteDance's TikTok, even after it launched a similar Spotlight short-video feature in late 2020. TikTok also overtook Snapchat as the top social media platform for U.S. teens for the first time this spring, according to Piper Sandler's latest Taking Stock with Teens survey.

And third, the entire ad sector cooled off as inflation, rising interest rates, and other macroeconomic headwinds rattled the broader economy.

But despite facing all those bright red flags, Snap refused to officially abandon its long-term target of achieving more than 50% annual revenue growth. Analysts had expected Snap's revenue to rise 11% to $4.58 billion this year, but they could significantly reduce those estimates in light of its recent update.

Snap's net loss narrowed from $945 million in 2020 to $488 million in 2021. But in the first half of 2022, its net loss widened year over year from $439 million to $782 million. Analysts had expected Snap to post a net loss of $1.34 billion for the full year, but its forthcoming layoffs and restructuring efforts might reduce that red ink.

The layoffs make sense because free cash flow -- which had turned positive in 2021 -- turned negative again in the first half of 2022. The company was still sitting on $2.3 billion in cash and equivalents along with $2.6 billion in marketable securities at the end of the second quarter, but its elevated debt-to-equity ratio of 1.6 doesn't give it much room to raise fresh cash.

Nonetheless, Snap's decision to stop investing in new original videos, games, and mini programs altogether douses the hope that it can turn Snapchat into an all-in-one "super app" like Tencent's WeChat in China. That reversal might also reduce the stickiness of its ecosystem, throttle its DAU and ARPU growth, and erode its defenses against other social media platforms.

Snap plans to keep supporting the creation of new augmented-reality lenses, but Meta's (META 1.49%) Facebook and Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms have also started rolling out similar features over the past year.

The stock has already plunged about 85% over the past 12 months, and it's now trading far below its IPO price. But it still doesn't seem like a screaming bargain yet at 4 times this year's sales. It's merely reasonably valued relative to its peers: Meta trades at 4 times this year's sales, andPinteresttrades at 5.5 times this year's sales.

Therefore, I don't expect Snap's stock to make any meaningful gains over the next 12 months. Its desperate cost-cutting and the elimination of its ecosystem-expanding projects indicate it's bracing for a brutal slowdown that could easily last for more than a year. So investors should stay away and stick with more-promising tech stocks instead.

Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Leo Sun has positions in Apple and Meta Platforms, Inc. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Meta Platforms, Inc., Netflix, Pinterest, and Tencent Holdings. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long March 2023 $120 calls on Apple and short March 2023 $130 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Where Will Snap Stock Be in 1 Year? - The Motley Fool

Written by Harshit Sabarwal | Edited by Aryan Prakash, New Delhi

Social networking giant Meta is mulling more paid features for its platforms Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. It will also set up a new group for these new features, Reuters reported.

"Any new product will be complementary to our existing ads business," a spokesperson from Meta told Reuters.

The move will put Meta on the same course as other social media giants including Snap Inc and Twitter that launched paid tiers to unlock additional features.

The news of identifying and building more paid features for WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram was first reported by the Verge on Wednesday.

Also Read| Facebook Gaming app to be discontinued on October 28: Report

The group now called New Monetization Experiences, will be headed by Pratiti Raychoudhury, who was the former head of research at Meta.

Speaking to the Verge, John Hegeman, Metas VP of monetization overseeing the group, said that the company has no plans to let users pay to turn off ads and is committed to growing the ads business.

I think we do see opportunities to build new types of products, features, and experiences that people would be willing to pay for and be excited to pay for, Hegeman added.

The top Meta executive pointed out that in the long term, the company saw paid features becoming a more meaningful part of its business.

The Verge reported on Tuesday that the revenue of Meta Platforms' revenue almost entirely comes from ads. While Meta has several paid features already across its apps, the company giant had not made charging users a priority until now.

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Get ready to pay for added features of WhatsApp, Facebook & Instagram: Reports - Hindustan Times

Article In Brief

In a pandemic world where meetings are now virtual or a hybrid version of in-person and virtual, neurologists discuss the challenges and opportunities for junior faculty to find mentors and networking opportunities.

The last two years have been a difficult time for clinical neurology everywhere, with issues with illness, staff shortages, institutional and personal financial difficulties, and an overarching sense of burnout. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed academic departments under heightened stress for financial and human resources, which trickles down to faculty, Abhimanyu Mahajan, MD, MHS, assistant professor of neurological sciences at Rush University's Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Program, told Neurology Today.

In fact, one often underappreciated consequence of the pandemic has been its effect on mentorship and networking opportunities specifically for early-career faculty, he continued, whose foray into their first faculty position coincided with the start of the pandemic.

But there have been some silver linings toothe recent shifts away from in-person-only gatherings have offered opportunities for more creative and diverse interactions among neurologists with different levels of experience and geographic backgrounds.

Experts and neurologists involved in planning virtual and hybrid conferences spoke with Neurology Today about how they've been working to ensure early-career neurologists don't lose vital openings for mentorship and networking in the pandemic era, and offered advice on how to make the most of these events even from home.

While the advent of virtual conferences made it equitable and financially feasible for early-career faculty to attend multiple conferences, the didactic nature of virtual conferences has mitigated some of the positive effects, Dr. Mahajan said. Outside of poster and platform presentations, in-person conferences offer the chance for early-career faculty to interact with and learn from potential mentors and sponsors from other institutions. Random conversations may lead to long-term relationships and ideas that could foster good scientific hypotheses, and a novel line of investigation, he said. Many of these passing interactions were initially lost in the rapid transition to virtual meetings, but as the pandemic stretches into its third year, medical societies and organizations have been working to replicate these opportunities in other ways.

The American Neurological Association conference now has separate breakout rooms. Based on career interests, mentees are matched to mentors prior to the session. The AAN has had a mentormentee session as a part of the annual meeting, which was incorporated in the virtual meeting. To foster better understanding of the right mentor and sponsor for a given early-career faculty, the AAN has held webinars on the topic with experts in various aspects of academic neurology presenting their opinions and experience, Dr. Mahajan said.

Jacqueline A. French, MD, FAAN, professor of neurology in the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at NYU Langone School of Medicine, founder/director of the Epilepsy Study Consortium, and the chief medical and innovation officer of the Epilepsy Foundation, said the Epilepsy Foundation holds the Pipeline Conference every year to discuss new therapies, devices, and developments, and a similar symposium is hosted by the Epilepsy Study Consortium. For these meetings, she said, they put out an annual call especially for fellows and junior faculty because we are very mindful that we need to get young people excited and interested in the development of new therapies for the next generationand bringing them to these meetings is certainly a way to foster that.

The pandemic has undoubtedly thrown a wrench in this process in recent yearsparticularly the networking portion of it, she added, because a lot of people who have similar interests and who might collaborate or get excited about projects together meet at these conferences.

They get to talk to each other and create a network among themselves, Dr. French said, but on the planning side, they've been striving to mimic this in-person experience as much as possible.

Even before the pandemic, for young people, approaching the more senior people in this space is often very daunting, she said. So, every year, based on responses from more junior neurologists, the Epilepsy Foundation has created tables around specific interests where fellows and junior neurologists are put in groups with two or three luminaries in their field, Dr. French said.

When the meeting was completely virtual, these table discussions were moved to Zoom, and then as we went hybrid, some people would come in person, and some would be remote. Just a few months ago, Dr. French said, at the meeting, they had a physical table with some mentors and mentees physically in attendance and a few others on computer screens. They could see everybody else and were virtually sitting at the table. It worked pretty welland it was kind of funny, so people appreciated the novelty of it.

These sessions have served as important networking opportunities and are also meant to open the door for future mentorship, she said; some of the relationships created do last, but it takes workspecifically on the part of the mentees.

Louise McCullough, MD, PhD, who served as the chair of the International Stroke Conference in 2021 and 2022, has been involved in its planning for years. In a typical year, the meeting draws in about 5000 people, and it's probably one of the most important networking experiences for vascular neurologists and vascular neurology trainees, she said. It's the second largest of the AHA meetings after Scientific Sessions.

In 2020, they held what was to become the last in-person meeting of the year in February, just before the pandemic hit. In 2021, the meeting went fully virtual. But earlier this year, in February 2022, the AHA decided to return in person to New Orleans with hybrid options for those unable to travel, recognizing the importance of face-to-face communication, especially for trainees.

We wanted to make it as safe as possible, especially as this was one of the first large scientific meetings to return with an in-person component. We required proof of full vaccination, full masking, and ensured that everyone have a negative COVID test within 24 hours before entry, said Dr. McCullough, who is the Huffington Distinguished Chair in Neurology at the McGovern Medical School, and professor of neurology at UTHealth Houston and chief of neurology at Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center.

They provided a waiting room and had access to over 5000 rapid tests for attendees to use before entering the conference. Instead of the usual 5000 in-person attendees, we had a little under 2000 participants, but it was fantastic. I heard really great feedback from trainees that they got more out of the conference than they have in the past because it was smaller, and there was much more opportunity to interact with leaders in the field, she added. We also wanted to ensure appropriate options for those that could not attend.

One way they were able to make the most of the hybrid environment and invite junior neurologists to feel comfortable networking with more senior experts in the field, Dr. McCullough said, was by hosting fireside chats where an expert panel would have completely unscripted discussions and you could ask them questions. They also hosted smaller hybrid sessions with mentor groups where senior neurologists would be paired with four to six junior neurologists who provided specific aims or project proposals for their review. This format created an opportunity for both groups to recognize faces and allowed the trainees to interact with one other as well.

It is so easy to fall into the trap of just signing up for a hybrid meeting, and listening to the lectures, and that's it, Dr. French said. But you lose all of those back hall conversations or bumping into people or sitting at their table at lunch.... My advice would be, if you are attending a hybrid meeting, make sure that you've looked at the program and sought out any of the opportunities for interactive sessions.

Dr. McCullough agreed, adding that it may be worth targeting the hybrid meetings for newer investigators and clinicians or have mentorship lunches or sessions where you can discuss your grant and your career plans with experts, she said. But you really need to follow up and contact the person who gave you advice, she continued. I always tell my mentees, I can't be more invested in your career than you are. The mentees have to do their work. You have to stay engaged, you have to keep the camera on, you have to send a follow-up email. If you're going to a lunch or a meeting where you're going to discuss a project, then you send your aims or points in advance, and then they'll remember you.

Dr. Mahajan said the hybrid approach makes sense for the near future. It combines greater access, financial sense, and lesser time away from clinic, with the interactions that in-person meetings can seemingly provide in greater amount and with greater ease.

Early-career neurologists might choose to attend a couple of conferences in their subspecialty area in person, and attend other important conferences virtually, he said, adding it offers the best of both worlds.

Another tool to use before, during, and after conferences is social media. There is a lot of conversation happening over social media, especially Twitter and the AAN Synapse section, said Dr. Mahajan, who gave a talk at the most recent AAN annual meeting about the appropriate use of social networking and social media for neurology researchers. The long-term impact of these interactions is still unknown, he noted, but few modalities match social media when it comes to reach.

Early-career faculty have used social media to talk to study authors and to pick their brains on questions they may have and/or future directions which it could take, Dr. Mahajan said. It can also be a good resource to interact with experts from specialties different from your own.

Such conversations have led to collaborations and grants, he noted. It's also an important way to find faculty and research position listings before they're formally posted. Finally, he said, departments can use social media to share talks, papers, and grants by early-career faculty, and increase their visibility.

Dr. McCullough suggested looking for mentorship and networks locally, as well. If you're in an area with several institutions or medical centers or hospitals, look locally because that mentor is much more likely to be able to meet with you regularly, she said.

Dr. McCullough added: I think there are challenges to being engaged virtually and we all face virtual burnout. But getting good quality, mentorship remotely is not an issue. You just need to keep organized, keep a timeline, and check in with the mentor. It's a very good idea to say, Okay, every fourth Monday, we'll call for 30 minutes, even if you don't have new data or new idea. I think keeping timelines is just as important when you meet virtually as when you do it in person.

As the pandemic becomes (hopefully) less of an impediment to meeting in person, other obstacles including the growing price of travel may pose significant barriers, Dr. French said. Additionally, she said she's long been concerned about women in medicine and/or science having to miss opportunities because of childcare-related needs, and noted that hybrid meetings should have been on the radar a long time ago.

I think it's very tempting to fall back into our old habits now and say, Okay, now everybody's back at meetings, we can do the things we used to do. We don't have to think about this anymore, Dr. French told Neurology Today. It's incumbent upon us, as senior faculty and mentors, to ask people where they are right now Are you not going to meetings? Are you going back to meetings? To find out where those missing pieces are, and who has been missing from the conversation?

Dr. French serves as an editorial board member for Neurology Today.

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For Early-Career Neurologists, an Increasingly Virtual... : Neurology Today - LWW Journals

MIAMI A local university helps young adults find their inner light. FIU Embrace provides students with developmental disabilities with meaningful education and the tools to work and live independently.

A program one parent says changed the ball game for her son.

"When we came here, it opened the door for everything," said Sandra Fertil, mother of FIU Embrace student Marcel.

27-year-old Marcel has cerebral palsy. And before enrolling at FIU Embrace in 2019, his mom worried about his future.

"What will happen to him after we are gone," shared Sandra. "That was a great concern."

Marcel was born premature, weighing one pound and 13 ounces.

"I'm a miracle baby," said Marcel. "My mom and dad take very good care of me."

Despite life's early obstacles, Marcel grew up with a loving, adventurous spirit. What he needed was an opportunity to show it.

"I used to be very shy and closed off," said Marcel. "Now, I'm more open."

Enter FIU Embrace, where Marcel developed a love and passion for cooking and being in the kitchen. He learned how to maneuver around campus by himself, make friends, advance his education, and became a proud FIU Embrace graduate last month, ready to work.

"I'm very confident in myself and my abilities and try not to worry about my disability," said Marcel. "I'm special in some way."

FIU Embrace Director Nicole Attong says creating confidence is key.

"Where they see themselves and who they see themselves becoming," added Attong.

The three-year program offers non-degree seeking and degree-seeking tracks, both geared for the individual to embrace their disability, find a career path, and land a job after graduation. Right now, the focus is on the non-degree seeking program.

"Getting the individual to learn more about themselves," shared Attong. "Fluent in areas you and I take for granted, cooking things and all the things we need to do to get through life."

It's precisely why FIU Embrace board member Cuong Do is glad his son Ben enrolled last year.

"He is thriving," said Do proudly.

Ben is on the spectrum. He lights up a room when sharing his animation projects. Ben plans to pursue a degree in digital animation. Cuong moved his family from New Jersey to South Florida to support Ben's dream and independence.

"We have to get into the mindset we will have to push them to be independent," said Do. "The more hands-off, the better."

"Number one fear is what's going to happen to my children or who is going to look after my children after I pass. Our answer is they will look after themselves."

And that's why Attong believes the single most crucial piece is pairing each student with a thriving student peer.

"See others like themselves who have jobs, enrolled in classes, living on campus in dorms, see themselves reflected in someone who was successful, believe then, for the first time they belong here," said Attong.

"I see the gleam in Ben's eye," said Do. "I see the gleam in the eyes of the other students here at Embrace. That's true happiness and true pursuit of passion."

Ben told CBS4 his dream job is to work for Nickelodeon, which happens to be part of our TV family, Paramount Global.

Attong adds community engagement and social networking create pathways for these exceptional students to land jobs after completing the program.

The program accepts young adults 18 through 28. The goal is to expand to 200 non-degree seeking students on campus by 2026.

Joe Gorchow joins CBS4 News as a seasoned reporter and anchor with extensive live and breaking news experience. Joe's competitive nature and passion for connecting with the community blend perfectly into his role at WFOR. He strives to provide the coverage our viewers deserve.

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FIU Embrace providing meaningful education to students with developmental disabilities so they can work and live independently - CBS Miami