{"id":87949,"date":"2020-08-25T12:38:12","date_gmt":"2020-08-25T12:38:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.red-gate.com\/simple-talk\/?p=87949"},"modified":"2020-08-25T12:38:12","modified_gmt":"2020-08-25T12:38:12","slug":"how-to-survive-and-thrive-when-watching-online-conferences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.red-gate.com\/simple-talk\/opinion\/editorials\/how-to-survive-and-thrive-when-watching-online-conferences\/","title":{"rendered":"How to survive and thrive when watching online conferences"},"content":{"rendered":"

Think of online conferences in the same way you would an in-person event \u2026 and then think again.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here at Redgate, there\u2019s a strong emphasis on learning and development that continues in this new world where COVID-19 has stripped away the chance for us to meet face-to-face safely. As Redgate\u2019s Events Marketing Manager, it\u2019s been even more essential for me to dedicate time over the past few months building my knowledge of how to create the best possible event experience.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been reflecting on what I\u2019ve learned when tuning into a variety of virtual online conferences and want to share some food for thought that I hope you\u2019ll keep in mind for your next online event.<\/p>\n

Consider the ROI<\/strong><\/h2>\n

While an online conference will likely be a lot cheaper than it would be if you were attending in person, there\u2019s still a key hidden cost \u2013 time. I\u2019m a big believer in the saying that you get out what you put in. Registering for the event is only the tip of the iceberg, and if you want to get valuable insights from the speakers and content delivered, you\u2019re going to need to work for it. Don\u2019t expect that just because you\u2019re not flying to the event, you can show up in your PJs. Dress for business, roll up your sleeves and get to work. This is work time, not downtime.<\/p>\n

Prepare in advance<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Know what you want to get out of the experience \u2013 what are your goals, for example? What do you want to learn? What problems are you hoping to solve? Write down the questions you want to be answered to help you discover how best to spend your time while tuning in.<\/p>\n

Also, think about the particular sessions you really want to listen to live. Do you have a question that you want answered, maybe from a certain speaker or company? Is the platform offering the chance for you to network with peers or vendors? Should you allocate time for that and, if so, which session could you skip or catch up on later?<\/p>\n

Prepare a calendar reminder for the event, outlining the sessions on the agenda you want to see. Or get yourself organized and set up a OneNote in advance with tabs, a checklist and space to add in notes from sessions.<\/p>\n

Get set up<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Ahead of the date, make sure you know how to log on and join the online event by checking your confirmation email for the right link to get access. Look at the tech that\u2019s required and ensure you have what you need to hear or see things when they go live (decent internet is essential). Aim to log in early to avoid being held in a queue (if the event is reaching thousands of people, this is a reality). Maybe open up a separate browser window to follow the event hashtag and the event organizer on Twitter, in case you want to follow along with the social activity or ask a question outside of the platform.<\/p>\n

Every platform is different, so if you haven\u2019t used it before it\u2019s worth checking the Help section to be sure you\u2019ll have a smooth experience.<\/p>\n

Be present<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Activate your out-of-office auto-response and stick to it. Close down work and personal email and mute other communication channels like Slack or anything else that you think could distract you. Avoid the temptation to multi-task, unless it\u2019s related to the event \u2013 it\u2019s okay to watch a session and type a question to the speaker, but think twice before you join a team Zoom call while listening to the keynote speaker. You wouldn\u2019t do this if you were at an in-person conference, so avoid doing it virtually.<\/p>\n

Be realistic<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Take regular breaks and maybe walk to the end of the garden in between sessions to imagine that you\u2019re there in person. This could help you digest one session and go through what you\u2019ve learned before you start the next one. Consider not watching sessions back-to-back by perhaps taking the time to engage with speakers directly after their session, or connecting with vendors who have solutions that might help solve your challenges. You can always watch the next session at another time, and this will allow you to finish one task before immediately starting another. It will also give your brain the time it needs for processing, and that\u2019s when the big ideas sink in.<\/p>\n

Get social<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A massive part of the discovery and learning from face-to-face events comes from talking to others and connecting with like-minded peers who are going through the same challenges. If you only watch the sessions presented at a live conference and stay seated in the same session room for the duration, you miss the networking opportunities as well as the food and drinks.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the same at online conferences. Networking might not come naturally, and you may prefer to dedicate 100% of your time to listen to the experts, but you\u2019re actually missing a trick. Introvert or extrovert, online events can help you here. They do away with any social awkwardness because you don\u2019t have to make small talk at the coffee machine. Instead, there are probably Q&A tabs you can open to start a discussion with anyone and everyone. Some platforms even offer to set up \u2018hallway style\u2019 meetings.<\/p>\n

Use these to your advantage \u2013 take the temperature, ask the stupidest question, be the person with their hand up. It\u2019s your time to get your questions answered, and by doing this, it will get your ideas flowing. If the conference offers a way to connect with attendees, speakers and vendors, use it to get acquainted. Everyone else is probably keen for a little interaction too. Remember we\u2019re all in this together.<\/p>\n

Go beyond<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Consider what you\u2019d be doing if you were at the conference in-person. You can probably simulate that experience and do some things even better than you might have done before. Because the event has gone virtual, you\u2019re likely to be joined by hundreds, even thousands, more peers than you would have been if you were restricted to a conference center or a hotel ballroom.<\/p>\n

Think of the possibilities! What\u2019s your company\u2019s policy on attending online conferences \u2013 do they even have one? Have you had to put in a request to attend this virtual event? If not, you might likely be stuck being in two places at once (refer to \u2018Be present\u2019). Can you still submit expenses?<\/p>\n

Get in event mode. Beyond making the most of the more natural ways to connect with people, consider ordering breakfast pastries from a local bakery, or a lunch panini from a local deli. Helping to support local companies who aren\u2019t currently serving business people in your local area feels like the right thing to do. Whatever you treat yourself to during the virtual event will cost much less than what you would have spent on the train\/flight, hotel room and evening meals if time had stood still and it was still 2019.<\/p>\n

More importantly, it will make the event an event, not a few hours staring at a screen.<\/p>\n

Enjoy yourself<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I\u2019ll end this post on a high and encourage you to remember what life is all about: fulfilment, helping others, gratitude and discovery. Remember that there are faces behind the screens; people are making this happen, humans invented the tech, and everyone has feelings. Be thankful of others, as well as yourself and the rest will come.<\/p>\n

\n

Commentary Competition<\/h4>\n

Enjoyed the topic? Have a relevant anecdote? Disagree with the author? Leave your two cents on this post in the comments below, and our favourite response will win a $50 Amazon gift card. The competition closes two weeks from the date of publication, and the winner will be announced in the next Simple Talk newsletter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Think of online conferences in the same way you would an in-person event \u2026 and then think again. Here at Redgate, there\u2019s a strong emphasis on learning and development that continues in this new world where COVID-19 has stripped away the chance for us to meet face-to-face safely. As Redgate\u2019s Events Marketing Manager, it\u2019s been……<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10578,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[47125,53],"tags":[95506],"coauthors":[56296],"class_list":["post-87949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorials","category-featured","tag-automate"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.red-gate.com\/simple-talk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87949","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.red-gate.com\/simple-talk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.red-gate.com\/simple-talk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red-gate.com\/simple-talk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10578"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red-gate.com\/simple-talk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87949"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.red-gate.com\/simple-talk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87949\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87953,"href":"https:\/\/www.red-gate.com\/simple-talk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87949\/revisions\/87953"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.red-gate.com\/simple-talk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red-gate.com\/simple-talk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red-gate.com\/simple-talk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87949"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red-gate.com\/simple-talk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=87949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}