How TechCrunch took its Disrupt conference online

Max Willens of Digiday writes about how TechCrunch put its Disrupt conference next week online.

Willens writes, “Disrupt 2020 will feature approximately the same number of attendees — at least 10,000 — and about the same number of expo presenters — 485 — that its 2019 event drew, said TechCrunch director of operations Joey Hinson.

“But it has also hit upon a number of new product features and ideas that it expects will become fixtures in future TechCrunch events.

“‘I don’t think we’re ever going to walk away from the digital layer we’ve added,’ Hinson said. ‘There’s this layer of data and efficiency that we’ve experienced as we’ve figured this all out that I don’t think we can walk away from in the future.’

“After deciding in late March that Disrupt would have to be virtual, TechCrunch’s business team began reaching out to vendors in the virtual event space, using notes and research provided by one of the site’s editors, Greg Kumparak. Preserving the quality of the content and presentations, maximizing networking opportunities and preserving as much of the feel of the expo hall as possible were among the top priorities.”

Read more here.