Pollstar Live! wrapped up last week following three days of sessions at the Beverly Hilton. The event, usually held in February, was postponed this year due to the pandemic but was able to be held in-person, with the first day of the conference coinciding with California’s official reopening.

The online experience took the form of a simple live broadcast, and the lack of chat and networking features was glaring following a year filled with of innovative virtual events and experiences.

Nevertheless, the panelists engaged in great discussions about what the past year has meant for the live event industry and what restarting live shows will look like. While there is still some uncertainty, the overarching theme was that everyone is eager to get back to live, although it may look a bit different than it did before.

Here are some other key takeaways:

Health & Safety Measures Are Here to Stay

Sanitation and safety measures were a common topic discussed during the conference, and panelists agreed that they would remain in some form for the foreseeable future. In the session, “The Future of GA: What Are the Implications?” speakers discussed continued uncertainty surrounding mandating vaccinations for attendees and staff, but noted that ensuring everyone’s health was a top priority.

“I do think that there will be some things that come out of [the pandemic] that, three years from now, or five, will just be standard practice,” said Molly Zidow, VP of Operations at Danny Wimmer Presents. “We went through a really big change, and we’re going to be adjusting. Maybe the Covid testing and the masks go away, but there will be some things that will become industry standards, whether that’s more cleaning or different staff policies.”

Michael Conley, SVP and Chief Information Officer at the Cleveland Cavaliers and panelist for the session “I Really Did Forget My Wallet: The Next Era in Cashless/Touchless,” similarly noted that Covid is not the only virus out there, and that increased sanitation protocols will be important to limit the transmission of germs at large events moving forward.

Cashless is Coming

Touchless and cashless technologies existed well before 2020, but they’ve gained new ground thanks to the pandemic. Touchless tech can be leveraged for everything from venue entry to food ordering, and it’s going to continue to become more widespread for both the convenience it offers as well as its ability to enhance health and safety.

In the session “I Really Did Forget My Wallet: The Next Era in Cashless/Touchless,” Amy Latimer, President of TD Garden and Chief Development Officer of Delaware North, explained that TD Garden has implemented Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, allowing guests to grab food or drinks and walk out without interacting with another person or taking out their credit card. “Our goal is to have just the tap and go,” she said. “Our ticket, our payment, age verification, loyalty – everything all rolled into one.”

The session’s moderator, Dr. K. Elizabeth Hawk, President of Ampersand Intelligence, emphasized that touchless isn’t just about reducing touchpoints – it’s about improving traffic flow through a venue to avoid long lines and people grouping together, which further reduces transmission risk.

Brands Are Ready to Re-Engage Fans

After many months without live activations, brands are gearing up for in-person events to resume along with the rest of the industry.

In the session “The State of the Market for Tour & Event Sponsorships in 2021 and Beyond,” Russell Wallach, President of Live Nation Media and Sponsorship, shared a positive outlook: “The good news is that we’re seeing now unbelievable velocity for the back half of this year and 2022. Brands are wildly active and very interested in getting back out there, so I couldn’t be more optimistic.”