1000s of international attendees. 11 concurrent live streams. 5 action-packed days. 1 event platform.
You can’t stop progress. That is the exact sentiment of the organisers of the 38th International Symposium on Combustion who chose to power on by quickly pivoting to a fully virtual event after COVID travel restrictions thwarted their plans. The competitive bid was jointly won by the Adelaide Convention Bureau and All Occasions Group and was expected to bring over 1300 delegates from around the world to attend the event at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
The Opportunity
With thousands of delegates and speakers located interstate and overseas, the challenge was finding the right production partner to deliver the event online to the same standard the delegates and speakers have come to expect. Held 24 – 29th January, the biennial event is designed to inspire, invoke debate, and provide learning’s across a broad range of combustion related topics. This meant the virtual event had to cater for a global audience, be highly engaging, secure and allow access to rich content.
The Solution
Encore was awarded the event based on their capacity to provide a safe and secure event platform that was feature rich, easy to navigate and robust enough to accommodate the volume of streams, as well as delegates logging in from more than 20 countries worldwide across the 5 days.
Professor Bassam Dally of The Combustion Institute said Chime Live was the most secure platform and was fit for purpose.
The symposium was available in real-time via Chime Live and saw each registrant receiving a unique login and password granting them access to sessions and materials for an additional 2 months on-demand. Delegates had access to over 700+ recorded symposium sessions, Work In Progress posters, invited speaker presentations, sponsor and exhibitor information, as well as the presentation of awards.
Some of the main features of the platform included:
- Over 700 Live and recorded presentations
- 11 concurrent sessions streamed live over 5 days
- 15 invited talks were streamed live from within a room at the venue
- Allowed speakers to log into session meeting following the live stream of their presentation to answer delegate questions.
- Interactive conference program (agenda) and session information that allowed attendees to plan their schedule for the Symposium week.
- Secure password protection for each delegate.
- Resource and presentation online repository.
- Provided access for the registrants to ask questions or leave comments next to presentation/s and Work In Progress Posters and for the authors to respond
- Designed a clickable Networking Hub with options for “your Business Card information”, photo and a short Biography to be able to connect, network and chat with other Virtual Attendees.
- Provided capacity to capture feedback for The Combustion Institute and committee, sponsors and key stake holders.
Key to the event’s success was having a reliable production partner who was experienced in providing both live and virtual production expertise. Encore worked alongside the AV team at Adelaide Convention Centre and All Occasions Group to ensure a seamless experience before, during and after the event for all stakeholders – delegates, speakers, and client. This included:
- In the lead up to the conference, Encore provided a Site Walk-through video which addressed many questions and alleviated concerns.
- Answered pre-registrants technical questions and allowed attendee login access to test prior to event.
- Provided technical advice of recording format, software and depository of presentations
- Around the clock technical support for any technical difficulties / questions from the client in the lead up as well as delegates during the Symposium
- Provided moderator training videos, Q+A management during the symposium, and virtual help.
The Outcome
The event was a huge success and demonstrated the power of Encore’s Chime Live event platform.
“While we would have loved to welcome the conference’s national and international delegates to our City as originally planned, COVID-19 travel restrictions meant the event was quickly adapted from a live event to a fully online format, supported by the expertise of our talented Technology Services staff & teams from Encore and All Occasions Group. Attracting 1,360 delegates from 50 countries, the program comprised 11 concurrent web streams with 742 papers delivered; each session was hosted by an online moderator, who facilitated a live Q&A with the author at the end to provide an element of interactivity. Special mention to our technology team who played an instrumental role in the success of the event, ensuring a smooth online delivery by coordinating timing & logistics; providing support for the presenters; & managing the zoom Q&A sessions.”
Many thanks again for accommodating our needs and for working with us to find effective solutions for the virtual mode we had to run.
Go hybrid or virtual with Encore
Encore is the name behind thousands of virtual and hybrid events delivered this year alone. With a broad range of virtual event solutions and event platforms that are operated by experienced technicians you can enjoy the peace of mind your event is in safe hands. Whether you’re looking to celebrate, educate, donate, motivate or something else entirely – Encore has the ideas, solutions and network to make it happen. Get in touch to discuss how we can bring your next event to life by sending an online enquiry or calling 1800 209 099.
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