Portable Sanitation Association International

ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT Portable Sanitation Association International News BIWEEKLY EDITION SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 Page 17 Continued on page 18 What Makes a Virtual Conference Tick? By Todd Ginter, PSAI's Director of Marketing In the August 19, 2020 Association Insight, I wrote an article introducing you to the world of virtual conferences. My colleague, Emily, and I offered our thoughts and insight about attending a virtual conference last month. There were aspects of that experience that we were surprised by, things we liked, things we wished were different, and things we thought were even better than meeting in person. But reading our reactions to attending a virtual event probably didn't offer a clear understanding of what your experience of attending a virtual event will be. This week, I am digging deeper into the virtual conference experience and providing a fuller picture of what you can expect when attending the PSAI event this November 17–20. As you read in the last newsletter, our postponed event in March that was moved to November is now going 100 percent virtual. Read on for more details about your likely experience. Meetings Versus Events First off, let's be clear about the difference between meetings and events. Those who have never attended a virtual event may believe that every online experience is like a Zoom meeting. But the goals of meetings and events are quite different. When people attend meetings, there is usually a single objective and set agenda. Those who attend the meeting discuss the agenda and make decisions or develop follow-up tasks related to the agenda. Facilitating a meeting online is simple; set up a Zoom room and issue an invite. So long as everyone can see, hear, and talk, it's good. What about an event? An event, by contrast, is a broad gathering of people, ideas, and methodologies that allow for the growth and development of a product, service, or industry. There's much more going on than just a single discussion or presentation. An event needs interaction between attendees and more options for engagement. So how can the streaming provider you use for weekly team huddles magically transform your meeting to an event? Simply put—it won't. Virtual Events Are Not Meetings Virtual events are not, and should not, be treated as just meetings. The streaming provider you use is simply the catalyst to connection, a means to get people to see, hear, and talk to one another. The attendee experience at a virtual event must be much more dynamic and engaging from start to finish. Let's take a look at a virtual platform! So how is this engagement accomplished on a virtual event platform? Let's look at it in pictures from a sample virtual platform website. It starts with a welcome (see image at left) that lets users know there is a lot to experience here. It evokes the same feeling you have walking into a conventional hall.

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