Since 2019 we organise the annual conference for the Knowledge Platform on Security & Rule of Law (KPSRL). In 2020 they asked us how they could stay connected with their community when it became very uncertain whether and how the annual congress could take place due to the pandemic. We explored the possibilities together with KPSRL, and it gradually became clear that a live meeting would not be possible. The format of the annual congress changed along with global developments and went from live to hybrid to fully online.
542
Participants
2 days
Duration
Online & Live
Set-up
By design
In the end, we set up the online format together with KPSRL within one month. Thanks to close cooperation and flexibility on both sides, the process went smoothly and we all benefited during execution. Because of all the changes, we paid extra attention to informing participants, speakers and stakeholders in order to include them in the process. This resulted in even more registrations and involvement. For example, speakers used the opportunity to practise their presentation from the studio, as this way of presenting is very different from addressing a full auditorium.
Result
The online annual conference was a great success. More than 500 delegates from all over the world participated in our OnAir platform, and the online networking options were also frequently visited. Given this level of interaction, which we normally see at a live congress, everyone concluded that an online meeting could also meet this need. This year’s theme, Harnessing potential, has been achieved across the board, in terms of both content and form.
