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Some Ideas For Hosting A Big Virtual Conference

By Marc Steinlin and the IPK Team

Last month, IPK supported the DigiArch 2021 conference, taking care of the agenda design, technical concept and facilitation. Please visit https://digiar.ch/ for some background information on the conference.

Creating opportunities within a very large conference

The first thing that made the DigiArch conference so special was its sheer size, and with over 400 participants, it was possibly the largest conference IPK has ever been involved with, virtually. There were different expectations in the online space, compared to the physical, i.e. analogue space. In any event of this magnitude – whether analogue or digital – there is no one size fits all. We needed to create opportunities for participants to decide how to use their time in an individual manner. Hence we needed to provide alternative offerings, a single Zoom stream was simply not enough. So IPK created a “conference ecosystem”, allowing participants people opt in and out of different activities of the conference at any given time. The idea of choice was a huge shift, and one that was implemented with much success!

The requirement was to build a virtual space for people to go to and move through, as they would in a physical convention centre. The idea was to emulate a conference venue, with an auditorium, a lounge, a lobby, a marketplace and top facilities. Different programmes needed to be on offer, and with a large number of participants, it could have easily become a numbers game. With such high numbers of participants, concerns around congestion were obvious. A multiplicity of parallel offerings solved this, whilst also addressing the need for diversity. IPK offered many tools to give all participants an opportunity to make active contributions. There were often multiple threaded open chats, directed at different contributors with different topics and themes, and with “like” functionality.

Using Howspace to create different spaces

The second thing that made the DigiArch conference stand out was the use of the platform Howspace. Howspace as a platform has the advantage that it creates a modular structure to build and customize a wide spectrum of different pages. There was therefore great flexibility to create different moments in the programme. It also allowed us to set up areas and sub-sites for every session, exactly tailored and speaking to each type of activity in any given session. The platform was not the limiting or constraining factor; it allowed for technology to be adjusted to the programme, instead of the other way around.

Another platform innovation we introduced was Spatial Chat, which brought home the value of meeting with people more informally, through coffee and lunch breaks. What people treasure most when gathering in person – and consequently miss most in the virtual realm – is this informal interaction. Therefore, it was important to create such possibilities, with opportunities for networking and discussions outside of the more rigid conference structure. We used Spatial Chat to create fluid informal ways of meeting, by emulating an informal setup. Even hours after the conference had formally ended, people were still sitting together in these more informal areas to socialize and enjoy unstructured conversations.

Ensuring a welcoming, user-friendly space through visual clarity and appeal

The third thing that was key about the DigiArch 2021 conference was that major value and attention was placed on the visual appearance of the conference venue, albeit a virtual space. In the analog space we make great efforts to create welcoming, even beautiful spaces, but we tend to neglect this aspect in the virtual realm. In DigiArch 2021 this was something that spanned across both aspects of functionality and user friendliness, as well as appeal. The “wow” factor was there, and it matters, because first impressions count. They have an impact on the mindset of people, and their willingness to put in an effort, participate actively and with enthusiasm. Having a dedicated graphic designer was therefore key, somebody who took care of all the details from logos and styling of every single button, to choices of images. All of these aspects had an impact on how the conference was perceived and experienced. A well thought out and carefully designed appearance was a core part of this conference’s success.

To take a short tour through the DigiArch virtual conference space, please view the video https://youtu.be/KAzzGilnuac (in German) or https://youtu.be/F89IHUDm6WI (in French).

If you are interested in holding a virtual conference, do contact us at IPK for further information at info@i-p-k.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

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