Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/1280285
ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT Portable Sanitation Association International News BIWEEKLY EDITION AUGUST 19, 2020 Page 17 Continued on page 18 What's It Like to Attend a Virtual Conference and Trade Show? By Todd Ginter, PSAI's Director of Marketing Recently, my teenage son received a phone call while I was sitting next to him. After he finished with the call I looked over at him and noticed he was a little flushed in the face. "What is going on?" I asked. He said it was a girl he didn't know but they both have a mutual friend on a social media app and she wanted to say "hi" and talk. Their connection happened without ever meeting in person. In other words, it happened virtually. I certainly wish I had this technology to help me meet girls while I was a teenager because living in the virtual world does have a way of bringing us together. Take for example eharmony, the online dating app that boasts: "Every 14 minutes, someone finds love on eharmony." There must be something to making connections online! This is certainly good news right now during a pandemic, when it may be the only way we can meet and talk with each other safely. Admittedly, we are not teenagers trying to find love; we are working professionals trying to grow and promote our businesses. Could what we used to do in person work for us in the virtual world? With the announcement that our November Convention and Trade Show will now be completely virtual, we need to know what we are getting into. We have all been in our fair share of Zoom meetings lately and also watching online presentations, but how does a virtual event such as a trade show and convention work virtually? Come along with my colleague Emily and me as we share our experiences attending the ASAE (Association of Account Executives) virtual annual conference held August 10–12, 2020. Before experiencing a virtual event, what did you think it would be like? Todd: The first thought I had was that attending a virtual event is the same is tuning in on a Zoom meeting. I thought once I clicked on a link I'd see a talking head, and my role would be to make sure my volume was up and my microphone was muted. But it wasn't like that at all. I was on a platform where I could easily see the whole conference at a glance. It was NOT just a video of a speaker. Emily: I thought it would be a glorified Zoom meeting. I was prepared to see a lot of presentations with chat options and break-out sessions. What was your first impression when you logged onto the virtual event platform? Todd: There was a whole virtual lobby that clearly displayed everything the conference offered. There was a welcome video and I could click to many different areas to look around as an attendee would do on site. This included the exhibit hall, keynote speakers, learning labs, help desk and an engagement center to interact with other attendees. I received a schedule of events prior to logging in the day of the event—it was just like having the on site guide that I usually get in my welcome bag. I was ready to go and enjoy the conference!