Life Sciences: A Case for Going Virtual

Michael Doyle
,
VP of Client Engagement, Engagez

By utilizing a digital space to welcome audiences, exchange ideas and network with fellow scientists, our science industry association customers have seen tremendous success with attendee engagement. We have compiled the main aspects we noticed within their event to make the case for virtual a no-brainer!

Broaden your audience

With pandemic restrictions still impacting budgets, travel abilities, and health-related concerns globally, many countries and businesses have had to explore alternatives to in-person events. Many of our customers within the science industry, from biology to medicine, have reported that by having a digital engagement space, they have been able to engage with local, national, and international attendees. A digital engagement platform creates the ability to have the event last longer by offering access to ‘On Demand’ content so attendees can join live or attend at a convenient time.

Easily share resources and research

One huge feature that many science-based symposiums or conferences incorporate is research posters/presentations. With the Engagez platform, event professionals have been able to utilize a digital booth location to have a hub for the various research projects being presented as well as offer live interaction with the presenters. Research posters offer a great visual to a research project and scientists from all over want to be able to see them all. Creating a space on a digital engagement platform allows for attendees to not only attend poster presentations they want to see but go back later and see any on-demand information or poster they may have missed. Some event organizers forget the potential long-tail value of their events, but we have seen science organizations thrive post-event.

Expand your speaker base

With in-person events, often event organizers experience limitations in the speaker pool due to restrictive budgets and travel accommodations. Organizers are then forced to make tough decisions about who to bring as speakers for their event. As with many industries, there are world-renowned experts from all over the world. Being virtual often can offer ease in bringing those voices to one space at one event! One of our ongoing Engagez customers saw speakers from four different continents at a recent event. You might be thinking… but how can we support all those time differences?! Hosting your event in a virtual capacity creates opportunities for live content as well as pre-recorded content (Simu-live). This allows you to have event content for everyone regardless of the time differences.

Networking

Networking is a vital part of any event. In a digital event space, networking requires creativity. We have seen many of our scientist professionals have more meaningful attendee engagement by utilizing the virtual event space to create networking opportunities for their international audience to interact and learn from each other. Some examples of past networking opportunities include asking questions, sharing information, as well as chatting and messaging with scientists who share interests. One association created a forum with different topics to allow for further discussion or continued conversation with presenters among attendees.

One exceptionally creative networking opportunity we saw from a customer was the creation of an entire social lounge for their judges. This event was specific for scientific poster presentations and those judging the presentations. Within the judge’s lounge, judges were able to receive live updates about presentations, presenter updates as well as when posters were ready for judging. This networking opportunity was a great way to create a virtual community for their unique audience.

The opportunities remain endless with digital spaces to host your science-specific event. We have seen our Engagez customers maximize those opportunities to host engaging, educational, and one-of-a-kind events.