Earlier this month we attended our first virtual conference. The Change Management Global Connect conference was held from July 14th to the 17th and was exclusively virtual! On-demand content will be available from ACMP through July 31st. 

The conference brought people from different industries together. Our very own CEO, Angel Lance, described the conference as “a valuable conference exercise that actually has a return on investment,” here’s what the experience was like.

It was like being in a video game, we each had our own little avatar and walked around the conference. We talked, we shook hands, we connected in ways that we could have not imagined before. It was easier to talk to people, it was easier to get access to people, it was easier to have a bowl of popcorn and a beer at hand while engaging in the conference. 

During this COVID season, we’ve gone to seeing people in person every day to completely re-evaluating how we do our work, and that includes conferences. With emerging technology and access to the internet, the transition to what has now turned into a virtual world has been easier than anticipated. Our CEO had the chance to experience what may become the new normal. She described the virtual Change Management Conference as “eye-opening, engaging and quite unique.” 

People were filing into the giant lecture hall, we all took a seat, and everyone had their laptop propped open. Their eyes glued on the presenter, they were here because they didn’t want to limit themselves during COVID season, they were here because they knew that change management is crucial and would benefit their company. 

The conference wasn’t limited to presentations. To ensure every attendee would take away as much as possible from this experience resources were distributed such as videos, white papers, case studies and more. 

We are excited for more of these opportunities as virtual options will increase. If you are thinking about attending a virtual conference, we’ve compiled a few tips to help you get started. 

1. Gain access to the virtual conference 
   • figure out agenda, speakers, timing and reading allocation
2. Learn who the exhibitors are
   • Any you want to touch base with? Research those you don’t know 
   • Do competitive research if you are representing your company 
3. Participate in session, take notes and download digital information 
4. Compare it to what you know 
   •  what can you change, what did you learn? 
5. Learn about the attendees 
   • Look up on LinkedIn 
6. Write it all up and share your colleagues