A look back at one of the first major congresses since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic:
The annual congress of the Swiss Ophthalmological Society took place over 3 days and welcomed nearly 600 participants. The SwissTech Convention Center and the EPFL Security Department, in close collaboration with the organizers, put in place all the necessary health protection measures to guarantee everyone’s safety. Thanks to these measures, no cases of Covid-19 were reported after the congress.
Offering participants the experience of a “normal” congress was one of the main objectives. The participants were divided in two groups of 300 people. One part of the participants saw the conferences live and the other part via streaming. A system was set up to allow all participants to ask questions. Everything was duplicated; two toilet areas, two catering areas, with the exception of the exhibition area. So in the middle of the day, we rotated the two groups after a complete disinfection of the spaces to allow all participants to visit the exhibition area.
Our three recommendations to ensure the success and safety of an event:
1) Collaboration
Collaboration is the key to success for all events, but in these times it is more important. And everyone’s commitment to finding different scenarios is crucial.
2) Technological expertise
Technology today is the tool that brings people together. It is the solution to give a good show and inspire your audience. It is not always easy to master, but you must be comfortable and confident with technology. So, surround yourself with a team of professionals.
3) Communication
Finally, communication – to manage expectations and maintain an open dialogue that is timely, regular and detailed.
Would you like to follow the entire Webinar and get all our advice on how to organize an event during this particular period? Would you like advice on how to organize a virtual or hybrid event? Ask us for the link via communication@stcc.ch to view the webinar, where you will find all the answers to your questions.