At the China Speakers Bureau, we keep a close eye on event organizers and how they prepare for the coming year, in the post-coronavirus period. We see two broad movements: definitely, a part of the gatherings is turning to virtual events, like for example the Felixstowe Book Festival.

More troublesome is the black swan scenario taken this week by Stage Entertainment, organizers in Europe of larger musicals like Tina, Anastasia, and Lazarus to delay their productions till March 2021. For most annual events, like the Olympic Games, a one-year delay might sound obvious, but stalling ongoing shows and events sounds more troublesome.

The coronavirus has not only stalled most global events, international flights, and the hospitality business. Now, also insurance firms start to increase premiums or outright refuse to insure the consequences of eventualities caused by the coronavirus.

“The market has been “traumatised” by the prospect of unintended coverage for business interruption related to coronavirus,” says an insurance expert.

Fake-meat products might find traction in much of the world, but because veggies are so popular in China, replacing meat might not work in marketing, says business analyst Shaun Rein in WeAreResonate.com. Becoming a vegetarian is not an issue for most Chinese consumers, he says.

US legislators are preparing a law to allow US PCAOB inspectors to check US-listed Chinese firms. But – warns auditing expert Beida professor Paul Gillis – the so-called Kennedy law might have unintended consequences for all multinational companies, he writes on this Chinaaccountblog.

China was in chaos when the coronavirus emerged in public at the beginning of 2020, but instead of a drama, president Xi Jinping was able to turn the events into a global win for the country, says London-based journalist Zhang Lijia, author of Lotus, a novel on prostitution in China, to Barbara Demick of the New York Review of Books.

What can brands learn from China for the post-corona crisis? Marketing expert Arnold Ma from Qumin in London joins a discussion at Retail Marketing. Building loyalty during a crisis is key, he says. Some traditional behaviors will return to the old patterns, but consumers will stick to newly developed insights, he adds.

Marketing veteran Ashley Dudarenok explains how she joined the social media bandwagon in China post-2009 for her marketing ventures, interviewed by 852 Reboot HK. With remarks on the future of Hong Kong and the fallout of the coronavirus. And why companies need at least seven business models to survive 2020.

Shanghai-based VC William Bao Bean used to spend 30-40 percent of his time at planes and airports, now found himself back in an office job in Shanghai after the corona lockdown had ended and explains to CNBC how that may work out.