VISUALIZING THE VIRTUAL VENUE

If you have never participated in a virtual convening, it may be difficult to envision what you’re getting yourself into. Technology has advanced in a way that allows for nearly all of the components of an in-person gathering to take place online. We’ve included some screenshots in this report to help you visualize the experience of a virtual convening, but here are the main elements that made up MDS11:

Plenary Sessions & Breakouts: Plenaries were scheduled so they were the only event happening during that time period. Plenaries allowed a speaker to present on a topic and then invited Q&A from the full audience. Breakout sessions were conducted in a similar format, but several smaller sessions were taking place simultaneously and participants could choose to stay in one for the full 45 minutes or hop around to different sessions. Recordings of all the plenaries and breakouts were made available to registrants for one year following the Summit.

Exhibit Hall: All participants had an opportunity to connect with vendors and organizations in a virtual exhibit hall. The booths look just like booths you might see in an in-person exhibit hall and featured branding and customized structures. Once “in” the hall, attendees could ask questions, video chat one-on-one or simply browse around and pick up virtual swag like codes for discounts or brochures and information.

Lounges: Virtual lounges were set up near the exhibit hall area and coordinated by different sponsors or organizations. During a pre-determined time, conversations on various topics took place in the lounge area and were open to all participants.

Virtual Briefcase: Registrants were also given a virtual briefcase to download session materials, PowerPoint presentations and contacts they could reference after the event.
 

Agenda