October saw the second week of Advertising Week 2020 (AW2020), with the reimagined virtual summit, combining the Europe and New York events, broadcasting live from New York.
The week was heavily star-studded, with speakers including Paris Hilton, Michael Phelps, Kristen Bell, Halle Berry, Jennifer Garner, Halle Berry, Jason Derulo, LL Cool J and Marie Kondo in attendance, to name a few.
Among the highlights from Week two include Zoom founder and CEO, Eric Yuan in discussion with Arianna Huffington, on the importance of protecting mental health while working remotely and Zoom fatigue.
“We really want people, when they use Zoom, to feel happy and comfortable” he said. “That’s why we listen to our customers’ feedback very carefully. Over the past eight months, a lot of people have told us: ‘Hey, I have so many back-to-back meetings. I’m thinking in front of a computer or standing here for such a long time and I feel very tired. Meeting fatigue on Zoom is something real.”
“No matter how smart the computer is, it cannot give you fresh air – take a walk, physical exercise. Every evening I scheduled 15 to 30 minutes meditation to think ‘If I’ve started over today, what I can do differently. How can I keep myself happy?’ To practically focus on happiness is very important.”
Actor, comedian and Founder of Laugh Out Loud Kevin Hart joined president and chief content officer of SiriusXM Radio Scott Greenstein in a discussion on the success of Laugh Out Loud, why he does comedy and diversity in the business.
Speaking on creating opportunities for others, Kevin said: “If I can be responsible for creating tomorrow’s stars of comedy, male or female, that’s huge. That means I did my part. So, it’s a focus, and thus far, we’ve done an amazing job of shining a light on the diversity issue.”
Elsewhere, Olympic Gold Medalist and Entrepreneur Michael Phelps was in conversation with Panasonic CMO Lauren Sallata. The two discussed his documentary, The Weight of Gold, the delay of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and how lockdown has affected his mental health.
“I think through these last months, I’ve publicly stated that I’ve gone through some emotional roller coasters, some ups and downs” he said. “So the time that I’ve had at home with my boys, and my family, has truly helped me and probably saved my life.”
Advertising Week 2020 is the world’s largest gathering of the creative, entertainment, media and technology industries. The global event provides a platform to explore the big issues affecting society, business and everything in between.