Event Portfolio
I have experience creating and facilitating online, hybrid, and in person events and conferences.
If you want to learn more about designing an event together, check out my Services.
Read on to learn about my process for designing events that are engaging and stress-free!
Virtual Conference:
Oakland University Honors College 2021 Research & Scholarship Event
Audience:
Honors College students, OU professors and thesis advisers, companies looking to recruit soon-to-be graduates
Responsibilities:
I designed and organized this event with Dr. Susan Lynne Beckwith, where 119 students presented their thesis projects over Zoom. I developed our event website, I helped design the structure of the event, and I coordinated and moderated events with 5 guest speakers.
Tools:
Google Sites, Google Docs, Zoom, Unsplash
Step 1: Analyze Needs & Goals
I identified our goals for this event: to give all 119 students a platform to individually present their thesis projects to a larger audience, to show the OU community how The Honors College supports students' success, and to connect Honors College students with opportunities for continued growth after graduation.
We only had 3 days to do the event, only 3 people available to moderate the presentations, and we had to plan around additional scheduling conflicts. We also needed to follow COVID-19 safety guidelines.
Step 2: Design a Structure with Intention
I designed the event to be virtual, running Monday, March 29th through Wednesday, March 31st, from 10 AM to 2:30 PM each day.
To fit all 119 presentations in the 3 days, I set up 3 Zoom rooms (A, B, C) where students could present concurrently.
Each room was designed with 4 student presentations per session, with Q&A and discussion after all students presented in a session. This format ensured all students could present, while only requiring their presence for an hour.
To ensure the moderators could fit the conference into their schedules and take a brief lunch break, I also clustered the presentations into 1 hour sessions with buffer in the middle of the day.
To ensure all 119 students could sign up for a session that fit their schedule, I created a Google Doc signup sheet that was then sent to all presenting students. They were able to edit the doc and write their name, major, and thesis project title on the day and time that worked for them.
To give presenters and attendees a more casual space to network outside of the formal presentations, I also set up a communication space using Slack. I created channels for each of the schools so students could find relevant opportunities and engage in discussions about their industries.
To provide further networking opportunities for students and demonstrate how OU students have succeeded after leaving the institution, I also recruited 5 OU alumni to speak about their career experiences in special “Link In @ Lunch” events.
Step 3: Develop Resources for Smooth-Sailing
To ensure this complex event would run smoothly, I designed a Google Site to share all the information with attendees and presenters.
The site included a link to the full schedule, which was the finalized Google Doc signup sheet.
This schedule included the date, session time, and room for each student's presentation, as well as brief information about each student's major and thesis project. I set up the Zoom links and shared them on the website with the schedule.
The site also included tech support resources for Slack and Zoom to minimize participants’ technical issues. For additional support, I informed the e-Learning and Instructional Support team about our event and confirmed they were available if needed to troubleshoot.
I also created a spotlight section on the schedule page to highlight the “Link In @ Lunch” events and provide background information on each guest speaker, and I prepared questions to guide each interview.
Step 4: Implement Plans & Pivot as Needed!
The event itself went smoothly! Presenters had been informed to arrive early and test their technology ahead of time, so there were minimal technical issues.
There were moments when the moderators had technical issues or needed a break, but they messaged me and I was able to float between rooms to monitor the sessions until they returned.
I moderated the “Link In @ Lunch” events and found that all provided useful information to students, in part because I gave the speakers the questions ahead of time and gave them ample time to prepare their answers.
Step 5: Evaluate Results for Wins & Growing Edges
Overall, this event was a success. All 119 students were able to present, and no sessions ran significantly over time. Having 3 Zoom rooms proved effective for managing multiple concurrent sessions, without the event feeling too scattered.
In terms of growing edges, there were a few.
Audience attendance was inconsistent across sessions, likely due to the sessions’ eclectic nature and limited marketing for the event. We sacrificed the sessions’ uniformity to ensure students could find a session that fit their schedule; however, future events could benefit from using themed sessions that appeal to specialized interests.
The Slack was also minimally used for community engagement, but it was used by a few presenters as a place to get technical support, so it was still beneficial. Low participation could have been due to students not being familiar with the tool. Future events could benefit from using a tool that others are familiar with, and designing more intentional opportunities for participants to use it ahead of and during the event.