Virtual Medical Conference Insights #COVID-19

As more medical conferences continue to go virtual in 2020, it’s important to emphasise that virtual conferences are not a direct replacement for the in-person experience. We need to embrace the advantages that digital formats offer, and adapt the content accordingly.

Abstracts and symposia presentations are being submitted in video formats and pre-recording them is fundamental to ensuring quality of delivery and audience engagement. Keeping your videos short and succinct will retain your audience’s attention. 

Sponsors can also embrace pre-recorded video to raise their corporate visibility during the conference, by supporting certain topics and categories, as well as produce their own videos for their virtual booths.

Pre-recording video presentations is tricky and requires professional support. This applies to presentation skills training as well as advising on wardrobe, hair & makeup, framing, lighting and audio-visual support. 

Likewise, professional expertise is needed to help corporate companies and associations build the optimum virtual experience for their delegates. This includes designing the virtual user journey, carefully selecting the appropriate virtual platform, and securely managing contextual interactive offerings such as polls, breakout rooms, and Q&As. This allows you to offer a qualitative and quantitative experience – one that can be measured in real time and available on-demand.

The main takeaway I’d like to leave you with, is that virtual conferences have the same customer-centric appeal as what audiences love about Amazon, Uber and Netflix – that is the ability to access content or services on their own terms. 

COVID-19 has fundamentally changed how we deliver conferences in 2020, and looking forward, I believe conferences will never be the same. I’m not suggesting all conferences will go 100% virtual, but I do anticipate a hybrid model that leverages the best of both worlds.

For the past 10 years, SWM has been delivering virtual solutions for our life-science clients. 

Please get in touch to find out how we can help with your next virtual conference.