A thread on tips for virtual events:

At @DFTBubbles we have delivered many online learning programmes over the last 6 months

This has included over 2000 attendees (on top of our three previous conferences spanning 200 speakers, a further 2000 attendees and live streams).

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DFTB Essentials is a teaching course on injuries and illness ( http://DFTBDigital.com )

DFTB Live ran last week – our first virtual conference

We have run 7 COVID webinars + an ACP teaching session.

It hasn’t all been plain sailing but we have some learning to share...

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Start with your audience.

It doesn’t matter that it’s online, you still need to start here.

Who is in your audience? What do they want to get from the day? How do you want them to feel at different times of the day? What do you hope they feel as the day ends?

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Then think about the programme

What topics will you cover? Do you have a balance between science, experience, non-clinical, interactive? What would you want to watch if you were there?

Have a @henrygoldstein to think deeply about the narrative arc of the day. It matters

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Choose your speakers carefully.

Invite people who you’ve heard speak before + loved. Invite people who get what you want to achieve. Invite people who will make the effort to deliver the best talk of their lives.

Don’t invite all white men – you can do better than that

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Enthuse and push your speakers.

Coach your speakers if you can (especially if you have a @gracie_leo).

Tell them that it’s important to you they get it right. You need to care about delivering excellent content so that your speakers do too.

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Give them a question to answer that is within their expertise but outside of their comfort zone.

This means they cannot just trot out an old talk – you want something new that’s right for that time and that audience.

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Example – we asked @PEMTweets "given that EM care in the USA is also effectively primary care for the uninsured, could you speak about how you inure residents with a compassionate viewpoint that will help fix/grow the system for the better?"

He nailed his talk around this.

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Consider the online format

Don’t take a 40 minute face-to-face lecture and post it online. Nobody wants this at a conference. Think about how long might keep attention spans? Is it long enough to develop the content in the talk?

How might you use the medium of online?

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Do you really need slides to deliver a 15 minute online talk? @moakindolie and @kathevans went slide-free.

@ffoliett leaned forward into the camera and pointed at the audience, he looked me in the eyes in my chair at home.

How can you engage with your audience online?

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@freermary interviewed @robdelaney in a moving conversation. I know this was more powerful than us hearing him present for 15 mins on his own.

Consider how to achieve connection and intimacy even though you are online.

Interaction is important.

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What else could you do to be creative?

We had random speed networking – getting paired up with the next person waiting for a three minute chat. I had a great catch up with @pepemac27 @miekefoster @LauraRaiti amongst others.

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We had coffee rooms you could drop into – I crashed an impromptu Aussie coffee catch up with @DrSarahMcNab @IanMeducator

We had 'corridor consults' – round table chats that you can’t have in a book e.g. which networks have you been part of that challenged you to improve?

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Share something new

We got to launch our new @DFTBSkinDeep website http://DFTBSkinDeep.com  and showcase the great work the team has been doing. It’s an opportunity to share good work with the community you have collected.

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Have fun

We had some musical interludes from @amateursuman Coldspray, the DFTB team, and ED Musos

(thanks to the @MakatonCharity for the Seasons of Love collaboration)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwaFxSTbcwwoBqEO79biF-q_tGh7T7ENf

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Remember you're there too.

It’s up to you to set the tone for the event. If you’re enthusiastic your audience will be too. Introduce it warmly, enjoy it.

Chat in the chat box yourself – join in with the audience, you are there with them hanging out too.

Be part of it.

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Get the tech right

The tech won’t make your event brilliant, all the above will.

Choose tech based on what you want to achieve with your event (+ your budget)

The tech is only 10% of what makes it a success, but it needs to be smooth so people can focus on the content.

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Make sure your speakers are supported and confident on their AV needs – camera, mic, wifi connection.

Do a test run with them on the device/location they will be using on the day. Get them online well in advance to recheck.

Make sure they aren’t wearing a stripy shirt…

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Have a plan for tech failure.

What will you do when inevitably something doesn’t go as planned?

Do you have something to play while the audience waits?

Is the next speaker ready to step in?

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Do it with a team you love.

@DFTBubbles are a team of 9 exceptional humans (+ a broader team of 40 others) whom I love. That makes it all worthwhile.

@andrewjtagg @henrygoldstein @paedsem
@gracie_leo @BeckyPlatt3 @Damian_Roland @danihalltweets @ianlewins

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You can follow @TessaRDavis.
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