Meetings and Events Australia (MEA) delivered Australia’s first full day virtual conference on July 16, with more than 25 plenary and concurrent sessions broadcast live from Deakin Edge at Fed Square in Melbourne to more than 550 events professionals across Australia and New Zealand.
MEA partnered with leading industry suppliers including Events Air’s award-winning online platform OnAir, to reimagine its traditional face-to-face conference and repackage it into a single day, TV-style production – the first of its kind for MEA since its inaugural conference in 1977.
Kate Smith, Chair of MEA, commented, “MEA was excited to bring together the events industry to experience Evolve: Renovated – MEA’s first virtual conference. Through the leadership, collaboration and generous support from our valued partners, we were able to reimagine Evolve and share inspiring and thought-provoking presentations that helped us to navigate and shape our industry’s recovery. We were proud to lead the way and bring our community together to reconnect and share this ground-breaking experience”.
Australian stand-up comedian, actor, television, and radio presenter, Dave Thornton, was engaged as conference MC, bringing his expertise in TV and live events to the event by keeping attendees engaged throughout the day and the energy levels high with short session introductions and wrap-ups.
Between educational sessions, the program offered personal care, wellness and fitness sessions—an important inclusion given the impact on the industry and its people in the current climate. Participants were also invited to network online with other attendees via the Meeting Hub and virtual exhibition during morning tea and lunchtime breaks.
Robyn Johnson, CEO of MEA, “The topics and difficult discussions we had today about the challenges our industry is facing and the solutions we are finding was in equal parts humbling and exceptional”, she added.
Participants who attended the event will be provided with access to every session via MEATV following the event.
