Converting a Live Event into a Virtual One

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CONVERTING A LIVE EVENT INTO A VIRTUAL ONE

IAPCO member: GUARANT International, Czech Republic Author: Ivo Miksa, Business Director

Last year, like most other organisers, we were forced to cancel events, change their dates, or transform them into the virtual form. Now we want to share with you the practical experience that the last year of organising virtual events has brought us.

When to make the decision Of course, for a successful transition from live to virtual conferencing, it is best to make a virtualisation decision as soon as possible. The later such a decision is made, the greater the pressure on precise organisation and meeting deadlines. We consider two months to be the minimum for an optimal and unhurried preparation of virtualisation (if the technologies and the format of the programme are clear).

How to decide on the fee In our opinion, the information and scientific content provided through virtual conferences are as valuable as in live conferences. It is important to provide participants with the highest possible level of live interaction and to complement it with the opportunity to study the papers for a certain period

of time after the conference. In such cases, we consider it appropriate that the registration fees are at least 50% of the original fees of the live conference.

How to change the programme In a virtual conference, it is not necessary to offer many parallel sections; on the contrary, it is possible to take advantage of the additional time space for placing sections one behind the other. Highly interactive sections should be planned for mornings or early afternoons. Evening times can be effectively used for panel discussions and specialised workshops.

The importance of training (testing) The critical moment for the success of a virtual conference is a quality rehearsal of the speakers' speeches. It begins with clear instructions and self-testing of technical devices on the part of the speaker. Great attention must also be paid to the correct processes for the handling of the section from the point of view of the chairperson and the reaction of individual speakers

10| April 2021

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as well as the way of moderating the discussion after the contributions. The same approach must be taken for the support at the exhibitors' stands. Each speaker should go through the connection process at least twice and have practiced access to his/her presentation and passing the floor to the next speaker – this is a key criterion for the smooth running of the programme from the point of view of virtual live event technology.

Strong support For the technical team, the busy part of the conference starts about a week in advance, when individual sessions and training with individual speakers and exhibitors takes place. For the live conference as such, the critical requirement is to correctly set up the communication channels, for example, to separate the help-line for speakers from the service for participants. Well-communicated instructions and correctly set processes lead to the satisfaction of both participants and speakers.

Comfort of participants, speakers and exhibitors For participants of virtual conferences, clear instructions, a clear programme and easy availability of the interactive elements used are important.

For the comfort of the speakers, it is important to know and practice the presentation process especially from a timing perspective. And at the same time it is essential that the technical support of the speakers is sufficiently strong in asserting the technical requirements; for example, muting the non-presenting speakers, fulfilling the requirements for a quiet environment, etc.

Exhibitors need to feel comfortable, with clearly defined capabilities of virtual stands and with sufficient technical support during their preparation. During the conference itself, the exhibitors are the best self-organised group.

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