Walking Back Event Decisions

The world of events is fraught with missteps. Some are recoverable.  Some not.  

Paddy Cosgrove, Founder of the Collision and WebSummmit Conferences, has never shied away from the controversial. Not with his speaker agendas (Edward Snowden and Frances Haugen come to mind)  or his dealings with moving locations to secure the most favorable pricing.  (Past moves of the conferences include from Dublin to Lisbon, and New Orleans to Canada.) But this time he crossed a line that cost him his job and possibly the conference he created.

Shortly after the Hamas attacks on Israel, Cosgrove spoke out against Israeli aggression and of its Western Allies.  “War crimes are war crimes even when committed by allies, and should be called out for what they are,” he wrote on X on Oct. 13 just days after the Hamas attack, and one month before the start of the Lisbon WebSummit. 

Cosgrove’s comments were met with swift action. First  Israeli tech firms and next American tech VCs pulled out of the event.  Publishing companies including Fast Company, have chosen not to participate at the conference, as well as big sponsors like Intel, Siemens, Google, and Meta. Cosgrove, in an attempt to save the 14-year-old conference, resigned over the weekend, acknowledging that he has become a distraction. However, he does remain a major shareholder in the company.  

 Cosgrove has a history of championing women entrepreneurs and people from diverse backgrounds. His comments are often heartfelt. But this time his timing was tone-deaf. Even with his departure and a flurry of ads hawking the conference on social media, WebSummit and its CEO will both suffer. In 2023 for sure, and possibly for a long time to come. Increasingly corporations, universities, and other workplaces will be held accountable and need to master the nuances of geopolitics. 

Toy Fair’s Mea Culpa 

In other apologies of the week, (less egregious for sure) the President of the Toy Association, Steve Pasierb did a very public about-face after this year's Toy Fair . During the show, held at the Javits Center in NYC, in October the association announced in a formal press release, that the next show would take place in New Orleans beginning in 2025 and for 3 years hence. 

Though the Association swears they consulted, vetted and talked to their members the announcement fell on angry ears. After a huge amount of "I Love NY" backlash from the toy exhibitors, who consider NY the Toy Fair’s home Pasierb backed off the journey to Mardi Gras City and will hold the event back at the Javits Center in 2025.  The Big Easy met the Big Apple for the Big Backpeddle.  Will the toy industry forgive the faux pas?  2025 is a long way away off but, but toys have long shelf lives and their creators have even longer memories. Toy Fair brass should be doing a bunch of mea culpas for now.