"Good preparation is essential for success"
Emergency mode at ETH has led to many changes: from teleworking and virtual lectures to online events, things that were mostly unpopular a few months ago now seem to be the way of the future. We spoke with Anahita Zelger, Events Project Leader, about events in the corona era and which aspects of the lockdown are here to stay.
All events at ETH Zurich have been cancelled since March. How are you working at the moment?
Since no events will take place through August, we're currently focusing on what things will look like starting in September. Because we have events that can't be postponed by a year, especially knowledge transfer events like academic conferences. Graduation and doctorate ceremonies are another example. This year nothing is going to take place like we imagined it, so we now need to find solutions. It's a great challenge for us to hold events that comply with all the safety measures while also generating the same emotional response in participants.
What kind of experience with online events did you have previously?
We distinguish between purely virtual events and hybrid events, which is where for example someone is giving a presentation in person that is also streamed. Until recently we only held hybrid events at ETH, but even there we used creative solutions. We put video communication software on an iPad mounted on wheels so that external guests could also take part in the informal part of the event. During the lockdown, I've participated in a range of different online events, both privately and professionally. Good ideas are needed, especially when it comes to the social aspect. For instance, we held an online goodbye party for a colleague, and she sent every member of the team prosecco or beer and chips in advance.
What do you have to keep in mind when organising virtual events?
Good preparation is essential for success! Event planners need to define their target audience and then select the right tool. The moderator needs to be very familiar with the tool and how it works, so that they know how to mute guests or let them speak, how to display presentations, and how to organise chat rooms. It's also important for the tech to work. It pays off to invest in good video and sound equipment as well as a good internet connection. There are no catering costs for virtual events, which balances things out.
What are the challenges of holding online events?
The screen creates distance between the speaker and the audience, and body language is barely perceptible. Speakers are no longer able to tell whether the audience is laughing or yawning. It's also harder to arouse emotion and keep people's attention. This means that the whole event programme needs to be reimagined. The language and the tools have to be adapted to the situation. Another point is networking: the ability to make spontaneous connections and just talk to people are no longer part of the event. While there's the option of having smaller chat rooms, it's not the same. There's also the issue of data protection that has to be considered.
What advantages do you see?
Last year we had a lot of debate about sustainability and air travel. That's now been pushed into the background, but one advantage of virtual events is that there's less need to travel. You save both CO2 and time, regardless of whether the distance travelled would have been a different room, city or even country.
Which aspects of the lockdown are here to stay?
We don't know how long the situation is going to stay like this. For that reason, we're thinking in the longer-term and are working with our IT partners to expand the technical infrastructure. An important keyword here is videography, which includes recording and broadcasting videos. Hybrid conferences are becoming more mainstream and are definitely here to stay.