Filed in: Virtual & Hybrid Event Case Studies Tag: Case Studies
“Accelerating Through Change” was the theme of the 2021 IEEE Women in Engineering International Leadership Conference (IEEE WIE ILC). Change as a driver for technological advancement, leadership, and professional growth resonated throughout the event. Featuring a sparkling lineup of speakers and interactive sessions, the event provides professional women in technology with opportunities to create communities that fuel innovation, facilitate knowledge sharing, and provide support.
Sponsored by IEEE Women in Engineering (IEEE WIE) and IEEE Meetings, Conferences & Events (MCE), the 2021 event brought together over 500 participants from over 45 countries. With a focus on mid to senior-level participants, over 90% of the audience are typically professionals.
Due to the pandemic, the IEEE WIE ILC was held virtually for the second year in a row. MCE Event Management Services offered expertise and support in creating a dynamic and personalized virtual event experience. The team worked closely with the organizing committee led by IEEE WIE ILC Chair Heather Quinn, and the Member and Geographic Activities (MGA) Team.
Together they collaborated on developing the event strategy, optimizing the program, planning networking sessions, and orchestrating the exhibit hall, all on the Engagez platform. Quinn shares, “With the Engagez platform, we were able to retain the feel of the in-person WIE ILC while keeping everyone safe. The virtual platform allowed people to connect to each other and the conference content.”
Attracting the right participants is key to the success of any conference. The organizing committee and MGA Team also partnered with MCE Audience Development on broadening their reach and increasing participation and engagement leading up to and throughout the event. These efforts promoted event registration and highlights, grant opportunities, and Call for Speakers, receiving the highest number of speaker proposals in the event’s history. In addition to email marketing, social media, and advertising campaigns, the Audience Development team created and provided personalized marketing materials for speakers, committee members, and exhibitors to share on the event’s behalf.
Participants could customize their event experience by selecting sessions in several tracks. These included Executive Leadership; BioTech; Inclusion, Intersectionality, and Representation; Disruptive Tech & Innovation; Turning Points; It Starts with Us, Building a New World; Entrepreneurship; Potpourri; and Workshops. Providing opportunities to align participation with interests and professional goals helped to create a highly personalized experience.
The program featured over 120 speakers including ten prominent keynotes from industry, academia, and government. Speakers included former NASA Astronaut, Dr. Mae C. Jemison; Non-Profit Leader, Stacey Abrams; and 2021 IEEE Past President Toshio Fukuda. A keynote panel brought together six speakers to discuss “Diversity and Inclusion Work within Professional Societies and Conferences.” Twenty-nine speakers joined the digital showcase to discuss leadership, technology, inclusion, careers, and more.
Helping participants connect and network were key elements of the IEEE WIE ILC. Several IEEE Regions hosted networking sessions including an IEEE WIE ILC + IEEE Rising Stars Party Networking Event by IEEE Region 6 and an IEEE Region 4 Networking Event: Design Thinking and Mural. Also included in the mix were a Google Networking Event, Networking Sponsor Showcase, and a Sponsored Empower Hour.
Participants could meet with representatives from nearly a dozen exhibitors in the virtual exhibit hall. Organizations like Mercer, Qualcomm, and Rockwell Automation showcased products, research, and career opportunities.
Chair, Heather Quinn shares, “It was wonderful having the support of MCE and WIE for this conference. We had a wonderful committee of staff and volunteers, a great group of speakers, strong support from our sponsors, and a resilient group of attendees. The virtual event turned out really well. People come to the WIE ILC to help build their communities and learn new skills. . . . I am really pleased that we could put on this high-quality event that had a large impact on our attendees.”
The 2021 IEEE WIE ILC offers women in technology a platform to share their journeys, challenges, and dreams for the future of technology. By joining together, the event empowers women to break down barriers and drive technological change.