Soundings and the Virtual Events Institute (VEI) have announced an exclusive North American partnership to offer freelance meeting and event professionals a launchpad into the world of digital experiences.
Soundings and the Virtual Events Institute are joining forces to offer affordable and readily accessible learning opportunities for freelance meeting and event professionals racing to meet the demand for versatile skill sets and virtual event experience.
The past year has redefined the event model resulting in workforce reductions and shifts in the types of talent needed to support the future of events.
Personify’s recent study of 1,000 association and nonprofit members and employees found that going forward, nearly every survey respondent wants virtual and hybrid event options— in addition to in-person events, concluding that virtual and hybrid events are here to stay.
“Since the start of the pandemic, our main focus has been to help freelancers remain relevant in the industry and find work opportunities. Our partnership with VEI will shorten the learning curve, marrying education and community to ensure that we have the talent to support the future of our industry,” said Tracy Judge, Founder & CEO of Soundings.
In fact, a recent HBR study found that 90% of C-suite and frontline leaders believe high-skilled freelance platforms will be core to their ability to compete in the future.
With a Soundings Thrive membership, freelancers have the ability to network with each other and discover ways to stay relevant in the marketplace. Members of Soundings Thrive use the Platform Playground to gain hands-on experience with tech and virtual event platforms they may not otherwise be able to access.
“Freelance platforms have become the norm for many industries to source specialized freelance talent. Freelance talent will be key in rebuilding the global event industry,” said Sophie Ahmed, CEO of VEI.
The Virtual Events Institute offers the first-ever on-demand learning platform focused on digital experiences. The VEI platform hosts a 10-module certification training course delivered by subject matter experts and focuses on the key skills and knowledge needed to excel at planning and executing virtual and hybrid events.
“Our certification program, paired with Soundings’ hands-on learning experiences, will give freelancers the opportunity to upskill and support new specializations the business events industry needs most,” said Sophie Ahmed, CEO of VEI.
The details of the partnership include:
● Exclusive discounts to VEI Certification program and individual modules for members of the Soundings Thrive community.
● Complimentary three-month access to Soundings Thrive Premium (launching in Spring 2021), for all qualified freelance graduates of the VEI Certification program.
● Access to Soundings Thrive VEI Study Group, exclusively for members taking the certification program, and Soundings Thrive Platform Playground.
● Co-produced webinars and thought leadership articles on the topic of virtual events.
● Preferred access to Soundings Connect freelance talent for VEI customers and sponsors.
Freelancers interested in learning more about the partnership and VEI Certification are invited to attend the VEI and Soundings Thrive webinar on Tuesday, February 23rd at 8AM PST/11AM EST. Register for this webinar here.