{"id":10295,"date":"2022-07-04T12:10:20","date_gmt":"2022-07-04T11:10:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/?p=10295"},"modified":"2022-07-04T12:34:13","modified_gmt":"2022-07-04T11:34:13","slug":"designing-a-hybrid-conference-programme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/2022\/07\/designing-a-hybrid-conference-programme\/","title":{"rendered":"Designing a hybrid conference programme"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Preparations are in full swing for ALT’s Annual Conference this September<\/a>, and we are working hard to design a hybrid conference programme that reflects our values<\/a> and the needs of our Members. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the past we have openly shared ALT’s expertise designing and delivering innovative online events, and during the early days of the pandemic we published resource<\/a>s about running events online. This blog post continues this practice, sharing our thinking for hybrid conferences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our approach to hybrid<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The question we started with was what a ‘hybrid conference’ means for us. We have over a decade of experience running wholly online conferences as well as in person conferences with an online element, such as live streaming keynotes for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For our approach to hybrid conferences, we wanted to ensure that we make the most of a return to in person session formats, enabling participants to engage in discussion and collaboration without the constraints of being live streamed or having to interact with participants online in every session. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, we want to continue to offer Members the opportunity to participate and contribute online, and to connect with everyone who is at the event. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whilst the majority of events we run are openly accessible as a membership service, our two large conferences a year have to cover their costs and contribute to our income as an independent charity. Fees for this year may be the lowest in five years for our Annual Conference, but we are well aware of the squeeze on budgets and inequalities in income. Alongside our scholarship programme, online participation offers a lower financial barrier to participate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We work also within the operational constraints of what we can make possible in the venue we work with, with the limited financial resources we have and also what expertise we have to deliver the event. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s important to us that the way the event is run and organised reflects the Association and its values, and that makes us reluctant to give external organisations control over how the event is delivered or indeed who keynotes. Whilst we value the support from our sponsors and partners enormously, we have also set clear limits of what we offer in return for that support and that, too, shapes how we organise events. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this year, we had a fantastic opportunity to run our first hybrid conference, OER22<\/a>, and learn from that experience. Building on the lesson learnt, we designed our conference programme to: <\/p>\n\n\n\n