Girlboss Rally to go digital as a result of travel bans, coronavirus concerns

The three-year-old Girlboss Rally, spearheaded by entrepeneur Sophia Amoruso, is the latest event to go virtual as event organizers deal with travel bans and concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic. The one-day event had been scheduled to take place on April 25 in Los Angeles, where Girlboss, a women-focused media business, is based. Now, the livestreamed event, which will include multiple tracks of programming and workshops, will occur in April or May, according to Amoruso. “Girlboss is at its core a community and a community that exists on and offline,” she says. “This is a livestreamed event, so the way it all comes to life will still feel like a conference but there’s a lot more exciting ways we can dream up content and incorporate our partners.” Last year, the event attracted 1,300 women from 30 countries. This year, Amoruso expects to reach 10,000 participants. Content will include timely topics such as advice on working from home and careers, as well as best practices for small businesses. Many events will be geared toward education addressing the current climate in the age of coronavirus. Girlboss plans to reveal more speakers—the current lineup includes Amoruso, who founded online retailer Nasty Gal in 2006 and dealt with its bankruptcy a decade later, and Sarah Paiji Yoo, CEO and co-founder of non-toxic cleaning company Blueland. Previous speakers have included Gwyneth Paltrow and Arianna Huffington. In the past, Girlboss charged a fee for its rallies, a cost that ranged from $375 to $700 per ticket, but the upcoming event will be free. Amoruso expects to make up the revenue from ticket sales with more sponsorship dollars. She declined to name the current brand partners. Girlboss, recently acquired by Attention Capital, has had event sponsors in previous years that include Shopify, Sephora and Google. As companies like Apple, Google and Ally Bank restrict travel and states forbid large gatherings in an effort to contain the fast-growing virus, several events, including Las Vegas’ annual retail gathering Shoptalk, have had to change tactics. Find out the latest on Ad Age’s event tracker.

Girlboss Rally to go digital as a result of travel bans, coronavirus concerns

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