KI has been working to develop virtual environments that recreate the best of our in-person experiences, while taking advantage of the possibilities offered by digital formats.
Any KI workshop can be run virtually.
The benefits of a KI virtual event include:
- Engaging event design.
- Simple Collaborative tools.
- Flexible schedules that accommodate time zones.
- Seamless execution by KI’s tech-weathered team.
- Inclusive by design.
- Responsive tech support.
Engaging. As with our in-person events, we strive to design our virtual workshops to be focused, productive, interactive and enjoyable. We have experimented with workshop timing that maximizes stamina and attention. It seems to be working: we routinely see retention rates above 90 percent for our virtual events. Our online workshops have ranged from small (around 30 participants) to large (over three hundred participants).
Collaborative. KI face-to-face events rely on some fairly low-tech tools: sticky notes, permanent markers and flip charts. No existing platform was quite right at letting us re-create what we knew worked in person, so, we created KIStorm for navigating the workspace and collaborating on content.
KIStorm offers:
- An online environment that is welcoming and conducive to creativity.
- Personalized home pages for the event that make navigation simple.
- A place participants can come to before the event to view welcome messages.
- Sticky note boards.
- ‘Hallways’ and ‘Water Coolers’ for casual networking
Flexible. Keeping in mind bandwidth and maximizing productivity, we generally make information dissemination asynchronous — participants can present and view Lightning Talks, for example, ahead of time.
Seamless. KI provides:
- Zoom conferencing for plenary and breakout groups.
- Staffing to support the many elements of the event.
- Planning and preparation to create a seamless interface.
- Event design that achieves desired outcomes.
Inclusive. Virtual events allow for increased participation thanks to the reduced time and costs associated with travel and being away from home. Some participants say the virtual format allows more voices to be heard too.
Responsive. Our tech support is adept at responding instantly to the needs of clients and users during an event, ensuring schedules are not thrown off track and participants feel comfortable.
What People Are Saying About KI Virtual Events
We asked researchers who had participated in a virtual Ideas Lab the following question:
Meeting virtually isn’t the norm yet even though it offers tremendous environmental, financial, and inclusivity benefits. Now that you’ve had this experience, do you think the benefits of meeting virtually (pandemic notwithstanding) are worth any benefits to meeting in person that are lost?
Of those surveyed, 32 percent said: “The interactions were similar to a face to face event and the other benefits are worth it.” Another 32 percent said: “What are you talking about? This was great!”