Girls in Tech

Introduction

Girls in Tech is an international not-for-profit organization dedicated to eliminating the gender gap in tech. When the Covid-19 pandemic threatened to derail the 2020 Girls in Tech Australia (GiTAU) conference just two weeks before it was due to start, they approached EventsAir.

Through the revolutionary OnAIR virtual and hybrid event solution, EventsAir was able to take up the challenge and deliver a full conference experience in a single online platform.

Challenge

The challenge for EventsAir was to turn a two-day conference, with 800 registered attendees, known for its workshops, talks and networking, into an engaging, interactive online event – in just two weeks!

GiTAU had considered using webinar-type services, but these platforms simply could not offer the full conference experience that they were hoping to create.

“All the precision, care and thought that goes into the Girls in Tech conference, making sure that we were able to capture that and put into a virtual platform was quite a task, but the OnAIR platform really did that and made it quite easy for us to use,” said Events Producer Michael Kollmorgen.

Result

Planning and registration
A taskforce of EventsAir specialists worked closely with GiTAU volunteers to determine the best approach to produce an engaging virtual event that guests could easily access.

The first step involved setting up a migration plan to ensure all relevant attendee profile data was captured. Next, the registration process was transitioned to the EventsAir event management platform. This allowed guests to register up to and including the day of the event.

OnAIR delivered a well-designed platform that eliminated any frustration regarding registration and logging in to the conference portal.

Agenda and session management
Utilizing the OnAIR module, GiTAU was able to showcase the agenda in a single secure, easy-to-use web interface.

OnAIR Timeline kept sessions on track. The morning and afternoon network sessions were kept to 5 minutes, giving attendees the opportunity to meet other GiTAU members via a four-way video chat that was a great hit.

The mix of content delivery styles meant virtual attendees remained engaged with live crossing to the GiTAU studio between sessions.

A single platform for guest and speaker interaction
OnAIR also provided in a single user-friendly online portal for speakers and attendees to interact easily online.

The full conference experience online
“The OnAIR platform that EventsAir created is pretty amazing,” said Production Manager Susan He. “It enabled a full conference experience online.”

Through the OnAIR platform, the EventsAir team was able to include a variety of interactive aspects. The software made it easy for people to flow through from the welcome sessions to the speaker sessions and on to networking, as well as interacting with sponsors.

Novel options for virtual engagement and interaction
OnAIR also allowed GiTAU to offer some unique opportunities for guests to engage with each other and also with speakers and sponsors.

A virtual exhibition hall with 13 exhibitors with multiple booth operators allowed attendees to interact with GiTAU partners. Attendees could have one-on-one video chats with exhibitors, exchange contact details, download brochures and information and take notes.

OnAIR simulated a live conference experience right down to the personal networking level.

“At certain points, guests were able to jump onto the portal and experience a face-to-face interaction with another attendee at random, so they could get to know some completely different people like you would do at a normal conference.” said Michael.

At the end of the event, attendees were able to export all the notes and contacts from the day, marking the end of a highly successful online event.

Exceptional customer support
Behind the scenes, the OnAIR platform had a virtual support desk on hand for anyone who required assistance on the day. Plus, EventsAir set up moderators to manage live Q&A in specific sessions.

The GiTAU team greatly valued the exceptional level of customer support offered by the EventsAir team who were there, helping out, from set up to wrap up.