Hosting online conference sessions at SDinGov Virtual 2024 – reflections on my experience
I had my first experience volunteering at an online conference at SDinGov Virtual in March 2024. Having volunteered at in-person conferences before this event gave me a chance to try something new and to get more involved in the delivery of sessions. It was also a good opportunity to grow my confidence.
About SDinGov
SDinGov (Service Design in Government) is an international community event for professionals involved in designing and commissioning public services. Sessions often cover topics like the design of human-centred and inclusive products or services, and user research.
Most SDinGov conferences are in-person events hosted in Edinburgh. This was the first virtual conference since the pandemic.
Why I volunteered at SDinGov Virtual
I have volunteered on the event teams of several in-person conferences. So I am familiar with event team tasks and facilitating sessions at those events. I also attended online conferences but had never volunteered at them.
I wanted to get a better insight into the work in the background and the pre-event organisation of an online conference. Volunteering at SDinGov Virtual was the perfect opportunity to accomplish this.
My other blog posts about my conference journey
What went well
The conference organisers made sure that the entire event team was well informed by:
- preparing a team briefing document with technical information and instructions on starting and hosting webinars and meetings
- organising a team call a few days before the conference
- making sure we all knew each other before the event
We also discussed our ways of working and communicating with each other. These included:
- a Slack channel just for the event team
- Google documents that were updated when necessary
- WhatsApp as back-up should any of us encounter Internet issues
Although all members of the event team were in different locations we stayed in touch throughout the conference day. We exchanged experiences and supported each other. Help was always just a message away. The team spirit was well and truly alive. I never felt as if I was sitting in my flat all on my own.
I was responsible for the smooth running of the sessions I facilitated. My preparation helped to ensure this and included:
- contacting my speakers at least an hour before the start of the sessions, introducing myself and making sure they were online (this was especially important to ensure nobody got confused by different time zones)
- having 30 minutes before each session for preparations with the speaker(s)
- checking the pronunciation of their name(s)
- agreeing with them how we would deal with questions from delegates
- ensuring that they were happy for their session to be recorded and agreeing signals for stopping the recording before addressing sensitive content or questions
- discussing a signal when the end of the session is approaching
- testing the technology with them (cameras, microphones, slides)
- making the speakers feel comfortable, answering questions and reassuring them that I was there for them
What did not go that well
Any unexpected excitement on the day was caused by technology.
The event organiser used Zoom for the conference and provided links for opening the webinars and meetings. So what could possibly go wrong?
I had to discover that not all organisations (including the University) allow Zoom logins with email addresses linked to a different domain on their devices.
If I was the only host, I had to use a workaround. I opened sessions using my personal desktop and then used a co-host link on my work laptop to take over the hosting. A bit awkward but the sessions could go ahead as planned.
For one of my webinars the presenters were in the same office. During the preparation time they suddenly lost their WiFi signal. Thankfully, the signal came back just in time. But this incident showed how important it is to have alternative ways of communication during an online event – even if it is just a phone number. This way we could keep each other updated.
What I would do differently next time
Working with my work laptop and my personal desktop was workable but not ideal. For example, my name showed twice if I had to open a session on my desktop. For another online conference I would get a webcam for my desktop to avoid logging in on two devices.
Staying hydrated and nourishing food are important to keep up the energy level during a busy and long conference day. But as facilitator I might not have much time for breaks when I need to prepare for the next sessions.
The conference organiser provided us with many healthy snacks. For the next online conference, I would also prepare a light lunch like a salad, wrap or sandwich in advance. Plenty of water and juice will be in the fridge and in easy reach.
How volunteering at SDinGov Virtual 2024 benefited me
I very much enjoyed the experience as event team volunteer at SDinGov Virtual. I now know a lot more about the work in the background of an online conference.
My involvement in starting sessions, hosting and facilitating Q&As was more hands on than during in-person conferences.
I learned how to build a rapport with speakers who are joining and presenting online.
The interactions with delegates at online conferences is different to the one at in-person events, as not everybody is in the same room. Some elements of communication (for example, body language) cannot be used.
I engaged delegates through the Zoom chat. I encouraged them to ask questions in the Q&A section and to discuss the topics in the chat.
Being a bit more in the limelight and dealing with technical challenges increased my confidence. It was another step on the way to speaking at conferences myself.
The next SDinGov Virtual conference will take place on 12 March 2025. I will then again be part of the event team.
Working at conferences, gaining new insights and building new connections is fun and very rewarding.
Read more about our team’s conference experiences
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