Three Formats for Conferences

Three Formats for Conferences

Three basic conference formats have evolved in the CAP conference community. The first, face-2-face (F2F) is the one that most CAP members know. It is the most common type of conference that members have experienced, and it is very effective and fun.

In recent years, technology advancements and the restrictions placed on conferences in the early 2020s due to Covid have led many regions and wings to explore virtual and hybrid conference formats. These formats have been around for years, albeit for larger corporations and government agencies. It’s only been in the past few years that they have become viable for CAP as an option. Virtual and hybrid formats are becoming more attractive to CAP because of the flexibility they offer as well as the chance to touch more members. Let’s discuss the pros and cons of each as you begin to think about how you would choose each format to suit your particular needs.

Pros and Cons

The Face-2-Face Conference

It used to be that there was only one type of wing conference: a face-2-face (F2F) weekend conference which normally began in a Friday night with a reception or happy hour of some type and ended on Sunday with some people going home directly and others staying for a meeting such as a Commanders Call. This type of conference comes in a couple of different types: traditional with the AM assembly, breakouts in a variety of rooms throughout the day and a banquet. The other type is the Town Hall, a smaller affair where the assembly, in-line presenters for all and a dinner or banquet is all held in the same room.

F2F is the type of conference with which many of our members are most familiar. Going forward, many wings will continue to use this model as it fits their needs best. This pamphlet will spend quite a bit of time planning for this type of conference.

PROS OF THE F2F CONFERENCE

There are several good reasons to choose a F2F conference format:

• Face-2-face conferences bring people together in a friendly atmosphere. It provides multiple choices to connect with friends new and old.

• It allows choice between multiple activities and to enter and exit activities as one desires.

• It lets members seek out and speak to wing, region, even national staff about matters of interest.

• It does so in an environment that is purpose-built to focus one’s attention on CAP.

CONS OF THE F2F CONFERENCE FORMAT

F2F conferences have three basic downsides:

• They can be expensive to the member and to the wing. Not all our members can afford to go to a conference, They can also be expensive to the wing if minimums guaranteed to the hotel aren’t met.

• Members may not have the time to go to the conference due to work, school, or family. Additionally, the wing begins to plan months in advance, taking time away from other projects.

• People who miss the conference can’t take advantage of the content that is offered to the level an attendee can. While attendees share what they’ve learned, they can’t share “the whole picture.”

The Virtual Conference

The virtual conference leverages technology to deliver the conference experience remotely to the participants. In this model, there is no “traditional” conference venue. Speakers, presenters, exhibitors, meetings, ceremonies; indeed, most all content is delivered via remote access.

PROS OF THE VIRTUAL CONFERENCE FORMAT

The virtual conference format offers several advantages to other conference formats:

• This model is a flexible option for those who for a multitude of reasons are not able or who choose not to assemble in one place.

• It also provides the wing the chance to stretch out the conference experience over time, rather than compressing the activity into 36-48 hours straight-through a weekend.

• Depending on conference needs, activities and schedule, the platform (technology and method housing the conference content and access for members), it can be less costly than a full F2F conference venue.

• Finally, it allows for recording of events and presentations for later on-demand viewing from even more members who may not have had the time to “tune-in” live.

CONS OF THE VIRTUAL CONFERENCE FORMAT

As with any choice, there are tradeoffs to be made with virtual conferences:

• Some conference activities which may be important to the wing may not be doable using a virtual format, for instance, STEM activities, drill competitions, some demonstrations, etc.

• The technology may “hiccup” (loss of bandwidth, audio video problems, attendee-user issues from lack of familiarity with the platform or their own tech tools), etc.

• Attendees who crave an in person, spontaneous experience may tune out if not engaged.

• Members with sight or hearing disabilities may have trouble engaging with the content depending on the conference budget and platform chosen.

• The wing must still devote months to planning the content to make it engaging for the members.

The Hybrid Conference

The hybrid conference combines the F2F experience that a lot of members enjoy with the added feature of allowing more members (and even speakers) to participate remotely. It also allows for later “on-demand” viewing of highlighted events.

PROS OF THE HYBRID CONFERENCE FORMAT

The hybrid format can solve some problems for the planner because it can combine much of the best from both the F2F and virtual worlds:

• More members can experience the conference in ways that suit them best.

• Highlighted events and activities can be recorded for on-demand viewing.

• This method can also stretch the conference timeframe allowing for more content options.

CONS OF THE HYBRID CONFERENCE FORMAT

There are some cons to the hybrid format which create some additional challenges to the planner:

• There are higher up-front costs for the conference because of the additional layer of technological complexity. These include bandwidth, audio and video streaming, ways for remote members to participate synchronous with the live audience, etc. These are costs that may not be recovered in attendee fees.

• The planning for everyone is more complex as decisions must be made about how to best address a topic or event.

• The transitions between the F2F and virtual content and the experience for the attendees must be as seamless as possible.

• In some ways it is much like holding two simultaneous conference, especially when dealing with breakout sessions.