The 16th REAAA Conference: What made the event successful?
The creation of virtual events using advanced technologies has paved a way to form exciting activities. Aside from their accessibility and convenience in the new normal, they are safer too. Moreover, virtual events allow the audience to participate and connect in interactive sessions in various ways. Thus, the recently conducted 16th REAAA Conference was made possible by going virtual.
In-person conferences are currently not encouraged, leading to the normalization of virtual or hybrid events. Furthermore, converting these events online is more practical and expedient – not to mention that it can connect with a broader audience.
The 16th REAAA Conference with Waveplay Interactive
The 16th REAAA Conference was conducted from September 13 to 15. The theme, “Shaping the future of road engineering with advanced technologies,” included several activities, such as technical virtual tours, meetings, exhibitions, guest lectures, technical presentations, and keynote addresses.
REAAA stands for Road Engineering Association of Asia and Australasia. It aims to develop commercial and professional links within and among countries in the Asia Pacific region. The Philippines is only one of its local chapters where it promotes the practice and science of road engineering.
This time, the virtual event was organized by the Road Engineering Association of Asia and Australasia (REAAA), the Road Engineering Association of the Philippines (REAP), and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Interactive Event Experiences
The 16th REAAA Conference had Simultaneous Conference Hall Tracks. It enabled managing or hosting multiple sessions concurrently.
Also, guests were directed about the ongoing and subsequent sessions through the live session guide. Besides this, networking lounges allowed organizers, speakers, and participants to establish connections. That is why attendees had the convenience of expanding their network in multiple ways. For example, they could either have group text chat rooms or one-on-one video/audio meetings.
Jaime A. Pacanan, REAAA Philippine Chapter President, and Maria Catalina Estamo Cabral, Ph.D., CESO I, REAP President, gave their welcome remarks at the opening ceremony. They were also featured in the exhibit halls with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
There were also exhibit halls, which were a great way for participants to access the exhibitors’ profiles to navigate through the virtual space.
Meanwhile, the main hall welcomed every attendee with warmth, and excitement awaited them as they entered the hall virtually.
On top of that, a virtual photo booth was included in the event too wherein participants could take photos that they can download and share on their personal social media sites. These photos come with chroma effects and customized frames and filters. Aside from this, a mosaic wall was also set up so that participants could post their photos on it.
Another feature was the immersive lobby that brought the event to life. It made an impact on the attendees upon arriving at the virtual conference.
At the closing ceremony, the conference ended with cultural presentations, member countries’ performances, award ceremonies, and other interesting programs.
Indeed, the 16th REAAA Conference was a success. Its virtual venue was provided by Waveplay Interactive, while behind creatives and the live stream was brought by Creasia.
