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

 

Our 86th World Library and Information Congress – and first ever virtual one – came to an end, with the last of over 160 sessions packed with knowledge, insights and exchange. We learned a lot during those three days, not just about the latest developments and perspectives within our profession, but also about how to deliver the unique buzz of a World Library and Information Congress online.”


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.

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