Virtual Conference

As part of its mission to promote excellence in science, The Royal Society holds a Commonwealth Science Conference every 3-4 years to promote and strengthen collaboration between scientists from across the Commonwealth. With COVID-19 significantly impacting live events, The Royal Society had to look at an alternative way of holding their high-profile conference in early 2021.

The Royal Society partnered with BCD Meetings & Events to provide a full range of specialist services including event management, virtual platform provision, data management, analytics and technical production to deliver an outstanding virtual event experience.

Since this project was not only about sharing information but also one aimed at strengthening collaborations and engagement, it was imperative that the event agenda included innovative ways to engage in networking, 1:1 meetings and collaboration between attendees as well as deliver a mix of live and pre-recorded content.

BCD Meetings & Events produced a virtual meeting that took place across four days with the platform opening a week before to allow for introductions, networking and collaboration between attendees. The platform then remained open for the following month to enable continued connection.

To maximise the ability to network and collaborate, BCD M&E’s platform solution and programme included several specific functions. This started with registration where delegates were asked to check a series of tick boxes to register their areas of interest and preferences. This enabled delegates to be accurately profiled so they could be matched with like minded attendees and assigned to the most appropriate breakout sessions.

Presenters webcast from different Commonwealth countries and in total 87 speakers took part across plenary and panel sessions. The live presenters were connected to our central production studio, where the entire show was delivered from; ensuring a high-quality broadcast and strong connection to the audience, with back-ups and fail safes in place to mitigate any risks from connectivity.

The technical team in the UK studio ensured the whole event had the look and feel of a live TV broadcast rather than a standard online meeting.