What is FENS, and why did they decide to go virtual?
The Federation of the European Neuroscience Societies (FENS), is truly the voice of European neuroscience, representing more than 20,000 neuroscientists. Between higher education opportunities, various scientific meetings, and in-depth trainings, FENS acts as the main organization for neuroscience in Europe.
Intended to occur live in Krakow, Poland, The COVID pandemic got in the way of FENS’ Regional Meeting. Although the meeting could not take place in-person, FENS was able to host an innovative virtual conference, with participants from all over the world.
Was taking the 2021 Regional Meeting virtual the right move?
Hear the answer for yourself from Grzegorz Hess (FENS President 2021) and Jean-Antoine Girault (FENS President 2022).
Are we in Krakow, Poland?
Originally planned to take place in Krakow, Poland, FENS wanted to incorporate specially chosen landmarks and cultural components throughout the event. A combined effort, multiple Krakow landmarks were chosen, and called out throughout the virtual experience with historical notes.
Strategic Navigation & Matchmaking Perfection
The navigation video (alongside rotating banners) truly offered attendees a small taste into what to expect at this year’s event. The navigation video was in FENS reminder emails, so attendees were aware of what was to come.
It was very important to FENS that the attendees knew what was going on throughout the event, without confusion. Labroots included an advanced searching/matchmaking component. This capability allowed individuals to fill in their position, affiliation, specialty, and more to find people throughout the event. With this being a worldwide event, matchmaking was a must!
The Color-Coded, Live Agenda
When it comes to event planning, Labroots production team likes to discuss any past pain points to develop creative solutions going forward. That being said, FENS had a very large and detailed agenda of which they worried would get diluted if put into a long listing of content. With the worry that attendees may not be able to find presentations, FENS decided to go with a color-coded agenda on the wall of the auditorium. Attendees could click and go directly to their desired presentation, and see what else is to come. The color-coding also reflected FENS’ registration page.
This event was lucky enough to be packed with plenty of big-name speakers, and it was important that they all got the attention they deserved.
A Poster Hall Made for Engagement
FENS’ Poster Hall was truly made for attendee engagement. It had a timeframe of when poster submitters were available live to chat (face to face, or textual). 50 submitters provided Zoom links which acted as an immersive engagement opportunity. Being a worldwide event, Labroots incorporated 35 language translations!
This large event had a total of 350 posters. With that many, a submission form was used that automatically gave all posters the same template and an embedded contact email address. All 350 posters received attendee views, and a poster abstract book was available for quick reference.
Networking at its Best!
FENS wanted an informal Networking Lounge that promoted conversation. That being said, they decided to make the backdrop a street in Krakow, Poland. On certain days, there were networking sessions happening at given periods of time. This was live via Zoom, and it incorporated a video component (12 rotating, relevant to the topic at hand). FENS’ social media pages were placed in the Networking Lounge for attendees to access with the click of a button!
12 Videos Across 3 Days
FENS provided 12 videos in total to be shown across their 3-day event. With such a large amount of videos, timing had to be strategic. All videos were successfully displayed in a way that prevented attendees from missing any important information.
Supporters and Partners Shoutout
It was imperative to FENS that the event sponsors were highlighted on their very own page. This “courtyard” was filled with links for attendees to visit the supporters’, partners’, and sponsors’ websites.
With respect to the sponsors, event presenters, and poster submitters, the Code of Conduct was very important. FENS did not want attendees taking pictures or recording presentations. For this reason, the Code of Conduct pops up in various places throughout the event, including the auditorium and poster hall.
An Incentivized Survey to Gather Feedback
FENS wanted to know what attendees thought of their event with Labroots. While a survey may not seem like something everyone would be interested in taking, FENS incentivized it. Once attendees finished the survey, they were able to download a certificate!
A Truly Successful Worldwide Event
Hosting a worldwide event comes with its own set of challenges. From language translation, to timing, to attendee interaction, FENS Regional Meeting truly exemplifies a successful global event, gone virtual. We’ll let the event metrics speak for themselves:
1,254
- Registration
808
- Attendance
39,329
- Content Views
10,726
- Webinar Views
7:38:12
- Average Duruation
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