LinkedIn unveiled earlier this month a new push for creators to bring original content (and engagement!) to its platform. But that's not all they are doing to increase activity on its networking site. TechCrunch confirmed that LinkedIn is running a test on events, specifically paid events.
A source told us that we were the first to pass the code for the events test. The code indicated that LinkedIn sells tickets and those who organize the events have a dashboard which allows them to monitor the sales, earn, and then manage the events. LinkedIn spokeswoman confirmed that the information was correct.
LinkedIn spokesperson Nicole Leverich said that LinkedIn Events has experienced a significant growth in the face of changing work environments and the transition to remote workers. In 2020, 21 million people attended an Event on LinkedIn. We are constantly learning from our members and customers and testing new ways to improve the user experience. Based on feedback from event organizers, we are looking into payment options in the Events product.
This is part of a larger overhaul that the company plans to do around audio and video services. We believe these will be the anchors for the events service. They will be released in the coming weeks and month. LinkedIn announced its participation in Hopin in June. However, it is not clear if Hopin, which was valued at $7.75billion in August's most recent funding round, will also be involved.
LinkedIn has been involved in and around events since its inception in 2019. This was before the outbreak of the pandemic. Its Events hub was launched in 2019 and focuses on gatherings in person. It formalized some ways it was being used for virtual events with the launch online polls and videos aimed at virtual engagement a few months after the COVID-19 pandemic.
LinkedIn was already a strong and natural association with both large industry conferences and smaller events due to this. Many events use it to log-in attendees. People also share content from events through LinkedIn. Conference goers also use it to continue their network after engaging in person or virtually. LinkedIn, the company, should consider whether they can be more proactive and central participants in this process, hosting it themselves and possibly making some money.
We will keep this updated as more information becomes available.
Sarah Perez also reports.
