Case study |
||||||||
|
users , a solution we could shape for our needs .
“ I have visited many online events lately and you soon realise that there is a limit to what you can do with some ‘ out of the box ’ standard solution . Like our onsite ECR , we also wanted our online platform ESR Connect to be the best solution we could imagine .”
What had convinced the Board to go down the route of a bespoke platform and studio at the Hansen Kempinski ? How had they controlled costs while giving rein to the creative process ?
“ When we started thinking about creating Channel No . 1 , which featured the Pop-Up World Tour , our Table Talks , Morning Welcomes from the president , and the Wellbeing Workshops , we immediately knew that this must be done with excellence . Our congress participants who have been to Vienna before know the ECR for its unique atmosphere , innovation and style , as well as its ability to transform the congress venue into a world of radiology . With Channel No . 1 , we transferred this experience to the online world and the Hansen Kempinski , a long-term partner , offered the perfect venue , where we were able to set up our fantastic virtual studio .
|
Above : ESR 2021 Photo by Dominik Walchshofer
Top : Christian Woronka , director of the Vienna Convention Bureau
Above : Professor Michael Fuchsjäger , chairman of the ESR Board
|
“ The Pop-Up World tour was a great success as everyone we invited did such a fantastic job and we were overwhelmed with the programmes they came up with . ECR 2021 became a truly global event and was as diverse as our onsite meetings .
“ There must be a balance between costs and creative freedom , but it is this creativity that leads to innovation and to the permanent reinvention of the ECR . In the end , investing in creativity will always pay off .”
The professor says supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of the society ’ s members had been of particular importance given the heavy demands placed on them in their hospitals and institutions during the pandemic . “ Creating a balanced programme with both educational sessions and interactive wellness workshops was challenging but was well worth it according to the positive feedback we got ,” he says .
And how would the professor assess the virtual experience in terms of results ?
“ An online congress is extremely different to an onsite one , and so a comparison between the two would not be helpful . Instead , we compare the experience we have offered attendees
|
during the challenges of the pandemic with that offered by the rest of the medical meetings industry . Here we see that the ECR 2021 has set incredible standards in the online meeting experience .
“ There were several unique features of the congress that really stood out . Firstly , our Pop-Up World Tour , which saw us engage with societies , institutions and companies from more than 20 cities across the world .
“ Secondly , with an updated congress platform , we were also able to offer a total of five simultaneous streams full of scientific and educational content .
“ Thirdly , we made interactivity a huge priority , using various features like our virtual exhibition , speaker directory and live chat functions to ensure that attendees could still engage with one another .
“ Organising a congress of this style has certainly influenced our outlook for future congresses . Future onsite meetings will offer even more extensive opportunities for virtual attendance through live streaming and remote interaction than before , so that even those who cannot make their way to Vienna can learn and participate in ECR ,” the professor says .
The ECR July hybrid event , the professor adds , will be built on everything learned from ECR 2021 and be a test run for new ideas under development for ECR 2022 , back at Austria Center vienna .
“ We are working on a physical attendance part as well ,” the professor adds , but notes that will be dependent on the regulations set by the Austrian authorities at that time .
ECR 2021 in numbers :
• 15,783 attendees
• 2,000 individual presentations and more than 1,400 electronic poster presentations
• 2,421 speakers showcased
|