Events are meant to spark excitement in consumers, but eight months after the pivot to virtual events, the general consensus among both attendees and sponsors is that they're boring. So to find a way to reengage audiences and advertisers, publishers are testing the limits of hybrid events. Atlas Obscura, for example, is planning U.S.-based road trips to uncommon locations, PopSugar hosted a drive-in premiere in Los Angeles and Pop-Up Magazine is working to make the at-home space more engaging by breaking the virtual fourth. Read more below.

• To avoid "Zoom fatigue," publishers should start adding participatory elements and off-screen sensory moments that provide serendipity, according to Sarah Priestman, president of experiential agency Sense New York.
• The company that owns the license to make and sell Nokia-branded handsets is looking to take certain aspects of its media management in-house.
• For Digiday+ members, even if it’s a logical move to stretch out discounts typically reserved for Cyber Monday, it can create a more difficult environment for marketers.
• With social distancing keeping coworkers apart in December, media companies and agencies have turned to care packages to replace the holiday party.
• The deal can help to revitalize HuffPost’s sales pitch and address BuzzFeed News’ perception problem, according to agency executives.