Events under lockdown
ARNA WAHL DAVIES , CO-FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND-BASED PCO COMPOSITION , TALKS TO OLIVER THOMAS ABOUT ORGANISING VIRTUAL AND SUSTAINABLE EVENTS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC .
C omposition is a small company of professional conference organisers ( PCOs ), which works with membership-based associations in the planning and production of domestic and international conferences . Composition ’ s clients are mostly from the medical and scientific fields , with a scattering of other sectors such as education , tourism , photography , real estate and architecture .
Arna Wahl Davies , co-founder and director of Composition , tells CMW that “ it ’ s all about finding the right fit with the client .” The PCO company typically looks to organise events with over 250 delegates but underlines the importance of being flexible and working closely with their client associations .
Flexibility and going virtual During the ongoing pandemic New Zealand has opted , for the most part , to keep their international borders closed . Throughout , Davies has learnt the importance of maintaining strong communications throughout the entire supply chain and creating flexible strategies .
Davies says : “ It has been really problematic because of the closed borders . We ran an International Congress ( the Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists ) with 29 countries , and we were getting delegates nearly every day emailing to see if they could come in-person . We would have loved to see them come , but we had our borders closed .”
Throughout these periods of heavy restrictions on travel and so-called
“ mass gatherings ”, Davies talks of a mindset and technological shift . “ It ’ s all about being flexible , offering contingencies , scenario planning , and working out what ’ s best for the client and for us . Whether it ’ s got a virtual element or even hybrid .”
Before taking this route towards hybrid or virtual events , early and thorough communication was critical . Davies notes : “ When you have this conversation early , we then understand the appetite for going virtual at the very beginning . It ’ s part of our toolbox and we ’ ve been describing it to our clients exactly like this .”
When asked about the future of virtual events , Davies sees this as a mixed picture . “ All of our clients throughout the industry want to get together in-person ,” she says . “ But I also think that widening the audience
Above : Arna Wahl Davies
is important . Some people might fly from Australia if you ’ ve got an important event that ’ s of interest in New Zealand . But would someone fly over from England ? Possibly not . If they do , that would be wonderful , but what options can we offer them for a hybrid version ?”
When discussing the greater geographical reach that virtual events provide delegates , Davies comments : “ If I ’ m interested in conferences in the US and Australia , it doesn ’ t necessarily mean I ’ m going to travel there . But if they ’ ve got an online component , I ’ ve got the option of actually watching and listening to some sessions .”
As events transitioned to virtual throughout the pandemic , Composition had to navigate the uncharted territory of organising events online . Davies had many concerns ; “ Are people going to pick it up intuitively ? Do they understand where the live supporters are ? Do they understand where they can see each other ?”
To assist them , Composition used the software events company EventsAIR as its virtual platform .
ISSUE 117 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / 21