2021 Presentations (Communicative Events) and Conference Objects

Planning Interactive Hybrid Special Events That Actively Connect and Engage Online and In-Person Attendees Together

Marquart, Matthea S.; Folk, Krystal; Thompson, Melissa M.

These are the slides from a conference presentation for The Learning Ideas Conference, June 14, 2021. Link to the conference website: https://www.learningideasconf.org/

Session abstract:
Columbia University’s School of Social Work launched an Online Campus in 2015, offering a fully online Master’s of Science in Social Work degree. With this launch, the Online Campus needed to develop ways to incorporate virtual attendees into on-campus events so that online students could join from across the country. For many events, on-campus speakers and workshops were simultaneously streamed online, with virtual attendees participating via the chat and a host conveying questions and comments to the speakers. However, for special events, including graduation receptions and an award reception, the administration created hybrid elements to actively connect the virtual and in-person attendees and engage them together. Examples how this was done include setting up computer stations where in-person attendees could talk via mic and webcam with virtual attendees without the audio being projected across the event, projecting virtual attendees’ webcams onto large screens to include them in group photos, designating a virtual host/emcee for the virtual attendees partnered with an in-person host, and mailing the virtual attendees certificates and event materials.

As the world begins to slowly transition away from pandemic-related restrictions on travel and gatherings, organizations may want to host these types of special events that include both virtual and in-person attendees; these types of events can also be inclusive of participants who experience difficulty traveling to in-person special events due to health, ability, or cost issues. In this session, the presenters will share CSSW’s experiences and provide lessons learned and advice for educational institutions and workplaces planning these types of hybrid special events. Applications for learning organizations include celebratory culminating events for course completion, receptions for special guest speakers, networking sessions at conferences, showcase events, and more.

Thank you to our colleagues Kristiana Reyes, Nykchasia Scott, Mashura Akilova, Elisabeth Counselman Carpenter, and Zuleka Henderson for contributing quotes with their perspectives on this type of hybrid special event.