In the last couple of years, the popularity of virtual meetings has hit new records in response to calls to reduce air travel and utilise climate-friendly conferencing. Moreover, as we discuss in further detail below, the recent coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has shed light on alternative digital options, as opposed to ‘business as usual’ conference set-ups. However, these recent developments are far from being all there is to say about virtual conferencing.
Online conferencing allows individuals to attend events in case they are prevented from attending in person due to visa issues, travel costs, or other reasons. Put differently, such a format increases accessibility and inclusion by reducing barriers to participation.
This virus outbreak has already proven to be one of the largest teleworking experiments ever, but how can we effectively utilise online participation tools to continue global meetings uninterrupted? One way will be to move conferences to an online environment. The first organisation to do this was ICANN, the Internet’s governing authority, which announced that its 67th Public Meeting will be held online for the first time ever, following concerns over the COVID-19 outbreak.
Join us for the live online discussion on Tuesday, 17th March, from 13:00 UTC (14:00 CET), when we will address the new challenges and opportunities for interactive online events.
Speakers:
Jovan Kurbalija – Head, Geneva Internet Platform
Arvin Kamberi – DiploFoundation’s online participation team
Marilia Maciel – DiploFoundation
The event is being organised as an activity of Diplo’s Conference Tech LAB, which provides extensive research, training, and consultancy on the preparation and running of online meetings.
Find out more about Diplo’s Conference Tech LAB.
