Being Connected and Learning – Virtually
Associations need to be familiar with new mobile / virtual technologies and how they impact their members’ and meeting participants’ experiences in order to stay relevant. Sea to Sky understands that. We keep on top of the latest research and advances in meeting technology and learning trends so that we can advise you on how best to engage and connect participants and members, in person and virtually.
Our Virtual Hub has two main functions.
- It allows you to access the expertise to extend your in-person meeting to your online community (in real time and as archived resources).
- It provides the opportunity for you to innovate and create solely in the virtual medium.
Extensions generally take the form of livestreams, pre-recordings and hybrids.
Livestreams: Sea to Sky has the technology and experience to livestream multiple presentations from the presenters’ computers to their virtual audiences, including inserting surveys within the presentation, allowing participants to ask the presenter questions, and recording individual sessions or the entire presentation for future on-demand viewing.
Pre-Recording: For oral presentations, Sea to Sky can provide the platform, or presenters can use their own camera and computer, to record their narration together with their slides. Video of the presenter can also be included (e.g. for plenary or keynote speakers). Poster presentations can be made into pdfs and posted in a virtual exhibit hall. Both oral and poster presentations can also have the searchable, full length abstract or paper to accompany the presentation. Sea to Sky can oversee the creation of a website containing these virtual conference proceedings, which can be restricted to members, made available for a fee, or open to the general public.
Hybrids: A hybrid meeting is an in-person meeting that also livestreams of some or all sessions, allowing those not able to attend to still participate on-line. A hybrid meeting can also include live or pre-recorded presentations from presenters around the world, ensuring the full educational program is uninterrupted. Any livestream sessions can also be recorded for post-event viewing.
A great example of a moving an in-person meeting to on-line is a virtual Annual General Meeting (AGM). Most associations are required by their bylaws to hold an AGM, which usually coincides with their annual conference to save on time, travel and cost. Sea to Sky can host and manage a virtual AGM, which can take the same form as the in-person AGM, with live board presentations from officers in multiple locations, a Q & A session, a confirmation of quorum, and insertion of real-time voting. As an added bonus, the AGM can be recorded to help with the taking of the minutes and posted in a virtual library.
The opportunities to engage your participants and members are endless – and Sea to Sky has a reputation of being very creative! From congress apps that provide more than just an agenda to live meetings where the audience is engaging with the presenters, from online libraries of presentations to accredited webinar learning, from multi-lingual simultaneous webcasts to twitter walls and conference app chat rooms, Sea to Sky’s Virtual Hub will support your objectives to connect and educate your participants and members.
And don’t think the virtual world needs to be an expensive one. We have worked with not-for-profits to inexpensively broadcast and archive important meetings for virtual audiences. We have experience in monetizing your virtual resources, which certainly helps generate revenue!
The technology is there for everyone to access – we can assist you in understanding your entry points and your options.
Please contact Ian Holliday, Project Director to discuss your interest in our virtual hub.
