Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/1284896
ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT Portable Sanitation Association International News BIWEEKLY EDITION SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 Page 18 What Makes a Virtual Conference Tick?…Continued from page 17 Continued on page 19 Once you enter the virtual platform, you will notice it is a lot like walking into a convention hall space. You will be greeted by a video welcoming you to the show. Unlike the in-person experience, a virtual platform encourages you to come early and see where everything is located. In the virtual lobby, there are topic areas you can click on to access assorted event features. If you ever feel "lost" in the virtual platform, just click back to your starting point in the lobby. Let's Go to a Session! One advantage of getting into the virtual platform early is having time to go through the event agenda and create your own personalized schedule of sessions you want to attend. Then, on the first day of the event, just your chosen sessions will be listed. Once you click on a session or keynote speaker, you will have detailed information about topics, speaker bios, and also information of who else is attending. There is a chat function that can be very useful when you have a comment or a question during a discussion. You can use the chat function to communicate to the whole group or just one other attendee. You also don't have to sit quietly like when you are at the live event! Visiting an Exhibitor at a Virtual Event is NOT Like Going to Their Website! If you go to the website of your favorite portable sanitation supplier right now, do you have the ability to chat with them immediately? How about meeting on a video one-on-one? Is the website updated with latest promotional items or offer a special discount just for stopping by? Do you have the time to find all the websites of the companies you'd like to visit? Like a live event, a virtual platform gives attendees access to all the suppliers in one convenient place. It is easy to navigate and visit with suppliers at the trade show. Since you are already there for the sessions, they are just a click away. You can sort exhibitors by industry or list all exhibitors alphabetically. Exhibitors can have a promotional video, add photos of new products, have giveaways, offer sales literature, and display anything else they want to promote. You can see the sales team easily on the page and can meet up with them live via video or set up a later time to meet. Have you ever gone to a booth and all the reps are busy talking to other attendees so you have to remember to make your way back? With a virtual set up, if no one can live chat, you can schedule a different time.