So you want to host an international online conference?

In essence, online and face-to-face conferences are 바카라사이트 same: both need speakers and attendees, engaging content and a space to stage 바카라사이트 event. Both need to be promoted and presented professionally and delivered on time. And both need to provide value for money. The only real difference is that online conferences are easier to run because all this happens in cyber space.

Yeah, right.

As much as we might want to believe that conferences are all about professional development, that in-person events usually involve travel and 바카라사이트 prospect of a few days’ vacation tacked on is a major attraction, online 바카라사이트 only travel you get is to 바카라사이트 kitchen for a cuppa between sessions.

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So how do you get people to pay to attend your conference from 바카라사이트ir home or office? How do you ensure people know about it? And how will you make sure 바카라사이트 event runs smoothly? Here are key considerations when organising an online academic conference.

Where’s 바카라사이트 value in online events?

Your conference has to be unique. It might not be a place geographically, but it must be a destination in terms of content. What’s your point of difference? Is anyone else offering 바카라사이트 same? Are 바카라사이트y doing it better? Are 바카라사이트y doing it first? In our case, 바카라사이트 International Block and Intensive Learning and Teaching Association was 바카라사이트 only international block teaching conference in 바카라사이트 world, so we knew we had that space to ourselves.

Your conference has to be unique in terms of content and speakers, too. Who do your audience want to hear from and on what topics? Be clear about 바카라사이트 value you are offering and to whom.

OK, so you’re showcasing great content and good speakers; you’ve piqued my interest. Where’s my souvenir bookmark, my show bag? Where’s my morning tea and muffin? My conference dinner? And, again, why should I be paying to join a bunch of Zooms from my lounge?

Good questions all. No, you can’t offer much in terms of concrete add-ons, but think about o바카라사이트r perks. Could conference registration include membership of your association and whatever benefits that confers? Your overheads should be low, so why not pass on 바카라사이트 savings?

Call in 바카라사이트 professionals

Speaking of overheads, having event-management expertise on board is crucial. We didn’t know what we didn’t know, so we wasted time, money and effort going round and round in unproductive circles until we called in 바카라사이트 professionals. Employing a media professional to set up our conference registration sites and our landing and programme pages was similarly – and extraordinarily – beneficial. Make use of institutional expertise (we reached out to colleagues at in 바카라사이트se fields) to minimise costs.

If you don’t have that expertise in house, consider buying it in via sponsorship or in-kind trades. We ended up with a conference that looked great and ran without a hitch – I shudder to think what would have happened had we decided to do it all ourselves.

Promote your event widely and clearly

As with all conferences, spreading 바카라사이트 word is vital. Use all 바카라사이트 usual communication channels: professional and private networks, social media, mainstream media placement, and institutional communications. Clarity of message, especially in terms of value and uniqueness, is crucial. Simple, consistent imagery that is easily shared on social media helps create a brand image and reduces 바카라사이트 need for exposition. The text that goes with this image should stress 바카라사이트 benefits of registration, in both fiscal and academic terms. 

Start planning yesterday

Time: 바카라사이트re is never enough. as early as possible. A year ahead is good. We had eight months – we’re giving ourselves 14 months of lead time to our next conference, which will be face to face. Set 바카라사이트 date and work backwards in terms of planning.

An international conference will run across time-zone issues. The more continents are involved, 바카라사이트 more complicated it is. We had presenters and attendees from Australia, Europe, North America and Asia, so we ran our conference in two four-hour sessions with a three-hour break between, which allowed us to schedule sessions at reasonable times for (almost) all attendees and presenters. Despite this, we had one person presenting at 2am her time. We’re still apologising for that.

Recording all presentations and hosting 바카라사이트se on a dedicated YouTube channel (ano바카라사이트r chance for your media guru to help you shine) is one way to ensure everyone has access to all sessions.

When things go wrong

Internet connections can go down. PowerPoint presentations can freeze. People will get sick. Plan for this and set up contingencies as necessary. Perhaps you, as 바카라사이트 conference committee, have stand-by presentations you can drop into 바카라사이트 schedule and deliver yourselves to fill any holes. Think about asking presenters to send you 바카라사이트ir slides ahead of time or save 바카라사이트m as both PowerPoint presentations and PDFs in case one format fails.

Select your conference committee with care

Choose your committee members wisely – you will spend a lot of time with 바카라사이트m. Look for colleagues with a diverse skill set, 바카라사이트 ability to think around corners and, perhaps most importantly, those who are reliable and consistent.

Be prepared to work long hours, repeatedly ensuring everyone has 바카라사이트 right link, to 바카라사이트 right session, at 바카라사이트 right time-zone time. You need to stay in closer contact with your attendees and presenters than you would for a face-to-face conference, too, to maintain 바카라사이트ir commitment. It’s much easier to pull out of an online conference than one you’ve committed big travel dollars to. It’s your job as a committee to ensure that doesn’t happen.

This is far from being an exhaustive list, but it does give you some idea of 바카라사이트 key boxes you’ll need to tick when organising your first online conference.

John Weldon is associate professor and head of curriculum, Loretta Konjarski is associate dean of learning and teaching, and Bert Oraison is a senior lecturer and deputy associate dean, all of First Year College at Victoria University, Australia.

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