Live and on-demand: Plastic Free World goes online for one-off 2020 Virtual Summit
Live and on-demand: Plastic Free World goes online for one-off 2020 Virtual Summit
September 1, 2020
Lloyd Fuller
In a year that simply hasn’t gone according to plan for pretty much everyone on the planet, Trans-Global Events, the organizer of Plastic Free World Conference & Expo, has announced that – for 2020 only – the already rescheduled physical event that was due to take place in Cologne, Germany, later in the year will now be staged as a fully immersive virtual experience
The ‘Plastic Free World Virtual Summit’ will be live online and on-demand on 9-10 November 2020. “It’s been a hugely difficult year, hopefully never to be repeated, and we’ve all had to temporarily change the way we live and work,” accepted Mike Robinson, CEO. “We are disappointed that our hands have effectively been tied this year by the restrictions posed by Covid-19, but at the same time we’re really excited and determined that 12 months’ work and preparations will not go to waste, if you pardon the pun.
We’re really excited and determined that 12 months’ work and preparations will not go to waste. We have almost 200 confirmed speakers and in our virtual exhibit area more than 70 of the world’s leading companies and exciting startups are on-hand with products and solutions to help companies reduce their plastic footprints
“We have almost 200 confirmed speakers and in our virtual exhibit area more than 70 of the world’s leading companies and exciting startups are on-hand with products and solutions to help companies reduce their plastic footprints,” Robinson continued. “Those exhibitors will still be showcasing their technologies and solutions via their virtual booths; our speakers will still be offering their expertise via pre-recorded and live interactive presentations and panel discussions; and delegates will benefit from almost everything the real event would have offered. And pertinent for 2020, in particular, they’ll be able to experience all of this without having to leave the comfort and safety of their homes or offices. The show will go on – just in a different format.”
Robinson reported that there was unanimous support for the decision, given the uncertainty relating to international travel and social distancing restrictions, as well as the unpredictability relating to how everything will pan out over the coming months. “What was certain was that if the physical event did take place, the Covid-safe maximum capacity of the Cologne Messe would not even allow for all of the speakers and exhibitors to be present, let alone attendees. It’s not how we planned to build on the success of our 2019 launch, but we’re adamant that we can make the best out of a challenging situation and deliver a virtual event to remember. We know that for this year only we can bring a new dynamic to the way our exhibitors and attendees do business and source new ideas to tackle the global plastic pollution epidemic, which ironically as a result of the pandemic will have worsened this year. Covid-19 will be eventually be a thing of the past; plastic pollution is here to stay unless events such as ours provide a much-needed launchpad for novel ideas and concepts to materialize into effective, deployable real-world solutions to confront plastic waste.”
We’re adamant that we can make the best out of a challenging situation and deliver a virtual event to remember. We know that for this year only we can bring a new dynamic to the way our exhibitors and attendees do business and source new ideas to tackle the global plastic pollution epidemic
Trans-Global Events has been working tirelessly with world-leading virtual events hosting expert vFAIRS to recreate last year’s enormously successful physical event in an online world. As far as the conference is concerned, attendees will not only be able to hear the presentations and see the slides, video and visuals as they would if they were sitting in an actual conference room, they will be able to connect with speakers through rich interactive audio/video/text tools in a visually engaging environment. They’ll be able to converse with speakers and sponsors via group chats or one-on-one interactions and will be able to download or save information for future reference. The platform runs on the Cloud so participants won’t even need to install any software to access the conference; all that is required is a standard web browser and a stable internet connection. Not even Covid-19 can disrupt that.
Ultimately, people attend conferences and tradeshows to share and enrich their knowledge and to make new contacts and create stronger relationships with their peers, clients and supply base – they want to do business
The virtual exhibition area will provide attendees with the opportunity to engage with more than 70 participating companies, in a ‘gamified’ experience of the real thing, right down to the entrance in the exhibit hall and specially created networking areas. Exhibitors and visitors will be able to connect and interact from anywhere in the world, regardless of geographic location, through real-time chat, as well as audio and video capabilities. Exhibitor booth staff will be represented by personalized avatars of their actual images, making them instantly recognizable to old friends or for new contacts to put a face to a name in the future. Essentially, attendees will be able to walk from virtual booth to virtual booth, walk through an individual virtual booth and click on certain products that are of interest, at which point a company representative will pop up to ask if more information is required or whether specific queries can be answered. One-on-one appointments can also be scheduled or discussions reconvened in the virtual networking areas. In today’s socially distanced world, this is the best available technology to recreate the real-world tradeshow experience.
“Ultimately, people attend conferences and tradeshows to share and enrich their knowledge and to make new contacts and create stronger relationships with their peers, clients and supply base – they want to do business,” concluded Robinson. “This Covid-secure interim experience will still allow everyone to do that and by harnessing the latest online technologies, we know we can deliver an experience as close as possible to the real thing in the safest possible manner.”
Early Bird Registration is now open for the Plastic Free World Virtual Summit. A two-day pass is available at the specially reduced rate of €499 (saving €200). Discounts are available for group bookings. Click here to secure your virtual seat