While virtual events have become the norm these days, taking part in a large-scale, multi-day virtual event, such as EclipseCon 2020, will be a new experience for many of us. To help you enjoy the best possible EclipseCon experience, we’ve compiled some tips and suggestions to consider as you plan your virtual visit.
Look Beyond Your Own Projects
For inspiration, consider attending conference sessions and Community Day events that are outside of your technology focus area. Check out the blogs in our EclipseCon series. You’ll find quick summaries of interesting presentations and talks that cover a variety of topics:
Add Your Sessions to Your Calendar
Once you’ve made your choices, block off the session times on your calendar. This helps to ensure people don’t try to book other meetings or conference calls that will interfere with your EclipseCon sessions.
Start Connecting Today
Use #EclipseCon on social media to connect with other attendees before the conference. Getting these perspectives in advance will help you formulate your own thoughts and questions to ensure you’re ready to engage during the conference. Following @EclipseCon on Twitter will also keep you in the loop about event updates leading up to and during the conference.
Check Out Our Virtual Guide!
The EclipseSon attendee guide is a great source of information about Swapcard, the platform we use for the event. One important trick: the more you'll complete your swapcard profile, the better experience you'll have during the conference through connections with the other attendees.
Learn From Others
Research what others are saying about their virtual conference experiences. Virtual conferences are becoming more the norm than the exception, and people are sharing their lessons learned about what works and what doesn’t work.
Focus on the Live Experience
The EclipseCon sessions are being recorded, so you can watch, or rewatch, them later, but by participating in the live sessions you can join real-time chats, slack channels, and Q&A discussions.
If at all possible, avoid multitasking during sessions. Minimizing distractions, such as unrelated emails, phone calls, and text messages, will help you fully engage with conference speakers, content, and other participants. Because the health and wellbeing of our community is of top priority, this year we’re adding wellness sessions in between the talks to give you a chance to unwind, reset, and keep your mind sharp throughout the conference.
Also, consider connecting with participants right after a session to keep the conversation going — similar to the way you would naturally gather in hallways after in-person sessions.
Think About the Technical Aspects
Start thinking about the devices, audio and video technologies, bandwidth, and software tools you’ll need for the conference. For example, consider whether you need to familiarize yourself with chat, sharing, and other collaboration features the software tools offer. Swapcard will be the official event platform for EclipseCon 2020, and will allow you to easily connect with other attendees and speakers. You’ll also want to think about how you’ll handle technology issues that arise during the conference. Having a backup plan will help you avoid last-minute panic and missed opportunities should the unexpected occur.
Be Creative and Share Your Ideas
Everyone who has attended EclipseCon in person knows there is a tremendous spirit of learning, knowledge sharing, and connection with our fellow community members. Let’s challenge ourselves to take that enthusiasm online and make our first virtual EclipseCon an informative and engaging experience for all.
If you have tips or ideas for a great virtual EclipseCon experience, use your usual Eclipse communications channels to share them with your fellow community members.
Reserve Your Spot Now
Like any event, there are only so many spots available at EclipseCon 2020. And the EclipseCon dates — October 19-22 — are coming up quickly. If you haven’t already registered, don’t delay.
Get all the registration details and register now.
For complete event details, visit eclipsecon.org/2020.
