How We Brought together Over 4,000 Attendees for the World Library & Information Congress.
Company Name
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
Conference Name
World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) 2021
Event type
Virtual Event
Conference at a Glance
3-day global virtual event
• 4167 attendees
• 7 languages
• 6 concurrent streams
• 24-hour networking rooms
• 408 speakers
• 66 ePosters
Gerald Leitner
Secretary General, IFLA
Quick Facts
IFLA is an organisation that acts as the global voice of libraries, representing both the interests of the profession and working to improve library services across the globe.
2021’s virtual congress was structured over three days and was designed to accommodate attendees across three time zones: Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa; Asia and Oceania; and North America and Latin America and the Caribbean.
Overview
The Congress took place from the 17th to the 19th of August 2021, bringing together over 4000 delegates across 70 countries. The content was delivered across 3 different time zones, offered in 7 different Languages, and ran over 6 concurrent live streams.
The Approach
Accessibility, Engagement, and Interactivity were important for IFLA when it came to the content and the platform. Arinex Live implemented the below features on the platform to deliver:
Accessibility
Dedicated accessibility page outlining exactly how to navigate the features of the platform, this included automatically generated closed captions available, using the AWS speech recognition engine in 7 languages, screen reader and browser magnification across the platform and keyboard navigation to ensure the most success on the platform when using a screen reader
International Networking
24/7 networking rooms available for delegates to engage across all 70 countries.
Gamified Experiences
Gamification features included a scavenger hunt, trivia, and a photo-booth
Wellness Zone
A wellness zone where delegates could come to participate in meditation, yoga, and relaxation techniques
Key Considerations
Key Considerations.
Arinex Live was selected as the event partner for The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), World Library and Information Congress for 2021. IFLA went to market to find the best virtual event platform that would support the energetic and spirited atmosphere of their Congress.
They needed a virtual platform that was easy to use, accessible, and custom branded to appeal to the global audience of the congress.
The Arinex Live platform offered thousands of librarians and information specialists the possibility to explore content scheduled on three different tracks. The Congress aimed to create an effective and easy way for participants to engage in discussions, sessions and forums for up to nine hours per day.
Outcomes & Takeaways
The Congress was a huge success and the delegates thoroughly enjoyed their experience on the Arinex Live platform. The engagement from the IFLA delegates was the most we had ever seen and this comes down to the thought and creativity that was put into the platform and event content.
All photos used with permission from IFLA.