Two Months Before the 2021 Conference We Changed Something Big
One of the biggest challenges hosting our conference online was how to make it stand out. So, we made a huge decision to change one main thing. There were risks and rewards, but luckily we took on the challenge and made it happen.
So you know how sometimes you have this really cool idea and are almost sure it will work and make your situation 100 times better but are scared to do it, so you don’t do it?
Well, we have those moments too. We’re in the same boat, always trying to find new ways to leave our legacy. But there was one time where we went with our gut and just DID IT. Why? Well, why not?
Since we had begun a new Legacy season in October of 2020, the world had already been in the pandemic for a while. Online events weren’t a new thing anymore, and so since the start, we made a plan to use a very popular online event platform called Hopin. Hopin is one of the most popular virtual event platforms, which was exactly what we needed. So, Hopin was our route to success.
Or so we thought.
However, since online conferences weren’t a new thing anymore, we needed a way to stand out. After all, that’s what we want: to be the best we can be. I bet you’ve felt the same about things you’re passionate about.
The Big Decision
Here’s when things got a little bit complicated. Two months before our conference was scheduled to be held, Legacy’s director had a great, big, scary idea: switching the entire conference’s platform from Hopin to Gathertown.
Not what you were expecting, right?
Hopin is great, but it’s the go-to for any kind of online event. Why be like everyone else, and use the same online platform as everyone else? We are always striving for Legacy to be the best student entrepreneurship conference, but there was no way we would stand out if we just followed the crowd.
With this new idea, there was that feeling of ‘what if’:
What if something else could be better than Hopin?
What if we didn’t go with our gut and later had regrets?
What if this was our way to be a starting point for other conferences to switch from the usual route?
What if the new platform crashed?
What if no one would show up?
But why was changing platforms so important anyway? You see, Gathertown is a customizable online event platform that allows you to feel like you’re actually at a live conference. You get to create an avatar and mingle with other avatars, while having the option of accessing your camera and microphone to interact with other attendees and speakers. How cool is that? So really, we’d be mimicking the live conference that we always do, only this time through our screens.
It Was a Good Idea… Right?
We had no idea where to start… but we were also excited. The best (and worst) part was that Gathertown, the new platform we were going to use, was barely used by many people. We didn’t know how well the platform would work with the amount of people we would have, let alone if people would like it.
But we had to take that risk, right?
Don’t get us wrong, it took a lot of motivation. Sometimes, when you have an idea that’s going to take some risk, it’s not only you who’s part of the process. Legacy’s director needed to make sure his team backed him up on the idea, because when you have that determination, you just can’t let go.
There were a lot of calls to get on. We needed to make sure this new platform would fit our budget, along with being able to navigate the platform on our own. Once the director and the operations team managed to lock down a couple of the basic features with the people from Gathertown, we had multiple team meetings with the rest of the team figuring out how to master the platform.
We also had to think about others in this process - our attendees! Making an easy to read, easy to follow manual of how to use the platform was not a quick process. This involved having multiple trial sessions that involved the team getting on calls and testing out all the different ways something could go wrong. All of these errors were noted and solutions were created so that no one would run into these problems on the day of.
Our hard work made everything worth it, as our attendees had a great time.
“It’s been incredible so far! Great choice of speakers and talent. Fell in love with Gather, it’s fun and engaging. Accidentally followed someone for like 10 minutes though with the option :D”
Of course, on the day of the conference, we did run into a couple of issues. As mentioned above, the “follow” feature was a big success but also a big confusion. You could follow another avatar in the conference to make it easier to get to different areas, but it’s also not easy to realize that you are following someone if you chose that option accidentally.
Lessons Learned
When we step outside of our comfort zone, we see new ideas that could evolve and turn into something great. We force ourselves to grow and learn from different experiences. Sure, it could go awful. Or, it could go amazing, and we would see the potential we have.
Although we had our ups and downs, the success of Gathertown was incredible. People kept coming up to Legacy volunteers saying how they loved having an avatar and feeling like they were inside Legacy’s virtual world.
And the best part is we didn’t have any regrets. We didn’t have that ‘what if’ question lingering in the back of our minds.
It’s easy to be scared of a new idea and stick to what you’re comfortable with. But if you don’t take risks and step outside of your comfort zone, how will you grow? How will you know what potential you can reach? Try it out for yourself - you’ll thank us later!