Conference & Meetings World Issue 109 | Page 48

Event tech

Meeting the new demands

EVAN GAPPELBERG LOOKS AT SOME BEST PRACTICES FOR BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE AND INTERACTIVE GLOBAL CONFERENCE
he Covid-19 pandemic has changed the event landscape drastically , forcing conferences and meetings to digitalise for the health and safety of attendees . While born out of necessity , this trend will likely continue beyond 2020 as we see the cost and logistical benefits that virtual events offer and the new-found ability to open conference accessibility to global audiences . Event managers need to take advantage of today ’ s current climate to restructure their plans and platforms , not just for global inclusion but also for security , accessibility and scalability to ensure these events meet the demands of the modern digital age .
Prioritise security Online privacy is a serious concern for any virtual activity , including conferences and events that draw attendees from a wide variety of locales . Security can be simplified when event hosting platforms offer end-to-end encryption for attendees and presenters looking to share and / or download proprietary resources such as posters , slide decks or presentation footage . Transparency about security goes a long way with attendees ; always make a point to communicate how you plan to use any participant data gathered during the registration process and throughout the event .
Rethink your objectives and themes While physical events require a large time commitment between the logistics of travelling , time spent away from home , and navigating the conference space and agenda , virtual events should be approached with efficiency and networking in mind .
Physical events involve informal moments where people enjoy themselves around meals or breaks and discuss everything from common interests to which session to attend next .
Virtual events are attended from home and typically interrupt a workday ,
Always make a point to communicate how you plan to use any participant data gathered during the registration process and throughout the event .
Web Summit moves ... on to the web
Europe ’ s largest technology conference will move fully online this year , the organisers have said . Founded in 2009 , by Paddy Cosgrave , David Kelly and Daire Hickey , Web Summit was originally held in Dublin , Ireland , until 2016 , when it moved permanently to Lisbon , Portugal . The decision followed discussions with the Portuguese authorities .
“ Lisbon is still Web Summit ’ s home but with growing Covid-19 outbreaks across Europe , we have to think of what ’ s best for the people of Portugal and our attendees ,” said Cosgrave , who said he looked forward to welcoming attendees back to Lisbon in 2021 .
Organisers had been hopeful that the conference could go ahead in Lisbon with a mixture of online and offline elements . They now aim to host 100,000 online attendees on their own conference platform , 1-4 December . Zoom founder and CEO Eric Yuan is one of 800 speakers lined up for the online event .
Organisers report that 500 companies have confirmed they will exhibit online at Web Summit .
The news comes in the same week as the World Economic Forum ( WEF ) announcing that its annual meeting of world leaders and CEOs , typically held in January in Davos , will now instead take place in Lucerne in May 2021 and only if the health and safety of participants can be guaranteed .
Tech conferences were some of the first to cancel their live events because of health fears over coronavirus , with South by Southwest , Mobile World Congress and many Amazon Web Services summits cancelling this year .
48 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 109