It’s been hard….I am fortunate to have built up many (many) years of a Rolodex and to have spoken at many (many) industry events – thus I have some “capital” built up….but in the pandemic I have had to draw down some (like taking cash from your savings account).
I have been on many (many) Zooms, including SWARS just last week, both as a listener and a speaker. And there are many (many) to some, with recently even a much-anticipated conference (Railway Interchange) scheduled for September was canceled (outright, even, not moved to virtual). The zooms have been a great stop-gap – and in certain ways have shown improved content (a CEO, for example, is more likely to give an hour from his – or her - desk than a series of days of travel.
But of course, it isn’t the same – so much is learned at the coffee break (and the Happy Hour). I sure hope we get to “normalcy ASAP and that, unlike 2020, RailTrends 2021 is “Live….from Times Square in New York City”!