Here at Tier One, we place a heavy value on continuous learning. We are always striving for progress and one of the greatest ways of achieving this is through education. One crucial education source for us has been conferences. In the face of many mass gathering cancellations, it is time to consider alternatives to the in-person conference. Below we highlight the benefits we have found from attending industry conferences and what methods we can use to obtain similar results.
Learning from the Experts
One of the most obvious reasons for attending conferences is to learn new things and be inspired by the best of the best in our industry. Through the attendance of presentations and panel discussions, we gain insights into the success of experts in our field.
Many associations and conference organizers have done well in adapting to the current state of affairs by taking these conference presentations to the virtual world. In fact, some organizers have already committed to more online conferences in the future due to it's many advantages (ie. money saved, increased accessibility, more global and diverse reach, increased number of registrants).
Much of the same learning content that would be accessed at an in-person conference is still available by registering for virtual conferences and, in fact, is more accessible to a wider audience and more flexible in terms of scheduling (ie. resolving issues such as wanting to attend two interesting sessions that are scheduled at the same time).
Learning from Each Other
A little more difficult to compensate for is the missed opportunities of learning from your peers and fellow-attendees through casual, unstructured interaction. Whether through group discussions, or just a conversation over dinner, learning through dialogue can prove to be just as useful as learning in the more structured format of a presentation. It is difficult to replicate the more "human" and "social" aspects of an in-person conference.
Some virtual conferences provide the option of a chat window for discussion and Q&A for the attendees. Even without this as an option, you can seek out or create a group on LinkedIn or other professional network site and begin discussions in these realms. Another option is to seek out people using the designated conference hashtags. However, this will not fully replace natural meetings and social, in-person interaction.
Networking
Along the same lines as learning from fellow attendees, networking for the opportunity of exposure, professional development, or to grow your business also somewhat diminishes. Online conferences do not provide the same opportunity to meet new people and build new relationships with like-minded professionals.
As mentioned above, engaging in online communities is one way of supplementing the lack of opportunity to network. Now is the best time to check your online presence and make sure your profiles are up-to-date and accurately depict who you are. Assess your current online network and put some time into rekindling some of those older connections.
Discovering New Vendors
In-person conferences give us the opportunity to walk among vendors and learn about all of the latest products, services, solutions and technology available to our industry in a face-to-face and hands-on environment. In lieu of this, virtual conference organizers are using "virtual booths" where attendees can access/download brochures and product information and schedule calls or demonstrations with the vendor.
There are pros and cons to this solution. On the positive side, attendees receive more one-on-one time with vendors in a quiet space as opposed to trying to engage in a noisy and crowded room. On the negative side, much like online shopping, the opportunity to physically try the products and get a more accurate sense of their capabilities diminishes.
Conclusion
The essential aspects of conferences and conventions are still accessible to us virtually and are worth exploring. However virtual conferences might still find better ways of fulfilling some of the missed experiences of an in-person conference such as socializing and networking, as well as discovering new vendors. To mimic the things that occur quite naturally at a conference will take more time, effort, creativity and ingenuity.
