Weitere Beiträge zum Thema Virtuell & hybrid

You could get the impression from the current surge of all kinds of online formats that they are interchangeable but webinars and virtual conference aren’t the same thing. Organizers who are not aware of the differences are contributing to a questionable revival of continuous speaker-centered approach – a fatal mistake for any conference.

With the organization of a virtual conference, many organizers are entering completely new territory. The experience gained over many years from the world of face-to-face events suddenly only works to a limited extent or not at all in a digital environment, and advice from the field has been sparse until now. We would like to change that and provide you with a few tips that will help ensure virtual conferences be successful for all.

Against the backdrop of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, organizers as well as conference-goers had to get used to virtual alternatives. Born out of necessity, many different creative approaches have popped up in the meantime, seemingly overnight.

Organizers have a timing issue - and this doesn't refer to the usual problem of not having enough time when planning a conference. As organizers switch to virtual events, a whole new complication arises: Participants are now no longer in the same place and can log in from anywhere on earth. But to do so, the conference needs to take place when it suits all time zones. Is something like this even possible?

January 14, 2021 marked the start of the 3rd Swiss Congress on Gifted and Talented Education, organized by the FHNW School of Education. Initially planned as an in-person event, the congress had to be moved to a fully digital format for the first time. This proved to be a real challenge for the organizers of the three-day event, but – without giving away too much too soon – they mastered it successfully in every respect. Our software helped achieve this success.

Virtual and non-virtual conferences may differ in some respects but the goals set and pursued by participating sponsors and exhibitors are the same: Getting in touch with their target audience and meeting potential clients. In a virtual environment, this only works once you rethink sponsorships beyond analog trade show booths, which can feel out of place in an online setting.