In pre-COVID times, business events __ from small academic conferences to giant trade shows like CES __ routinely attracted more than one billion participants each year. Still, it could be several years __ if ever __ before conferences attract the crowds they did before the pandemic. Virdi, who is deaf, said she’s relieved that in-person conferences are requiring masks for safety. He’s had some requests for help with virtual presentations, he said, but demand for in-person events is stronger. Karamat says the pandemic is already reshaping the convention industry.
