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Perhaps it’s a bit presumptuous of me to call it the first annual when there is not yet any certainty that there will be a second annual, but from what I experienced, the second is yet to come.
I was pleased to be able to chair one section of the sessions, including a presentation by Diane Hessan of Communispace, and learned just how important it is to have a solid internet connection for an online event. A great back-up team from Andrew Jeavons and Ray Poynter (who needs zero sleep) meant that the session continued uninterrupted while I managed to get back online. You can’t beat a well organized conference.
My own presentation, “Mr Survey Flirts with Ms Social Media Research” was the very last session of the entire festival and I hope those who listened felt the festival ended on a great note. For those who couldn’t listen in, you can catch my storybook on my LinkedIn page. You can also still register for the festival and listen and watch all 36 presentations for just $50. There really is no better conference deal than that.
As for the whole virtual festival concept, I have nothing but high praise.
- Presenters and audience in pajamas, with dogs at feet, hot oatmeal in hand, sitting comfortably on their favorite lazy-boy chair, and your own bed at the end of the day
- Presenters and audience from around the world, some of whom have never been able to attend a conference
- A registration price that cannot be beat, and travel costs that, well, were the price of your local public transportation ($3 for me)
- Big name speakers, not all of whom normally attend marketing research conferences
- All the presentations and videos available to the audience
Actually, there were some drawbacks of the this conference
- No big breakfasts, sumptuous lunches, or gala dinners where folks can admire the unique tastes of the local region. PB&J sammies instead.
- No free goodies to bring back to my colleagues who were unable to attend the conference.
- No missing friends and family back home…. wait, that’s not a drawback!
So you see, there is no choice. There will be a Second Annual NewMR Virtual Festival!
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