A key difference of this year’s conference compared to earlier conferences, though, is the hybrid format of this conference. While all panels are hosted in a physical room, they are also accessible online through zoom. Each room has a dedicated volunteer who is there to facilitate the technology, so that shouldn’t be your concern. The following would be good to understand, though:
- The physical conference has priority over the online component. In the unfortunate and unlikely case that the online environment does not function (well), please do proceed with the physical session anyhow.
- To keep our interactions relatively simple, online participants are by default muted (and cannot unmute themselves). The chat function is switched on, though, and may be used by online participants to ask questions to presenters. The volunteer keeps a close eye on the chat and informs you if there are questions.
- It would be useful if the chair and the volunteer sit next to each other whenever possible.
- There are a limited number of sessions where online participants are also presenting (note the light-coloured names in the programme book (nb, you cannot see this on meetinghand). The volunteer will ‘upgrade’ these participants to cohost, so they can speak and share their screen. As Chair, you may find it useful to have the online presenter to start, or rather to go last.
- The audio equipment in the smaller rooms should be good enough for online participants to hear questions from the physical audience. To be on the safe side, though, you may ask the presenter in the room to repeat the question.
Should you have any questions, please reach out to Tara (conference@marecentre.nl) or Nick (info@marecentre.nl)
