How a highly engaging, interactive, and impactful international conference successfully fostered collaboration, ensuring diverse perspectives were heard, and a lasting legacy was built.
An international client in the maritime sector approached us to deliver a global event focused on addressing a pressing issue: how to reduce Maritime Illegal Wildlife trade. The conference, held in person over three days, gathered participants, speakers, and exhibitors representing a wide range of viewpoints and expertise. The goals were to:
- Develop a shared understanding of the challenges and solutions to tackling illegal wildlife trade of marine species and identify the most pressing priorities in support of legal, sustainable and traceable trade within Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Southeast Asia and worldwide
- Encourage knowledge-sharing of current and in-development tools and technologies from those working to detect and repress marine Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) but also from adjacent fields to explore how these transferable approaches could be applied
- Explore how to develop, enhance and implement tools and technologies collaboratively and collectively
- Identify opportunities for multilateral collaboration within and between partners based globally
Responding to evolving circumstances
Planning began in July 2024, with an original delivery date of November that year. The conference was rescheduled to February 2025, necessitating a rapid adjustment of planning timelines, with a move to weekly sessions. Together with the client, we co-created an impactful conference, establishing a clear event purpose, objectives, and desired outcomes.
Designing for engagement
We led the design of the event structure, developing a dynamic programme incorporating diverse session formats. This included presentations, breakout sessions, panel discussions, parallel workstreams, table group discussions, and plenary sessions. Each session was carefully designed for impact and interaction. The meticulous planning processes involved weekly action tracking, comprehensive documentation, and proactive risk management.
Connecting people through technology
To reach more people and drive engagement, we used Swapcard, a secure digital interactive conference platform. It facilitated pre-event engagement, registration, and networking. Attendees could explore the agenda, view speaker and attendee profiles, and read session descriptions. The platform also showcased exhibitors and allowed participants to sign up for field trips.
During the conference, the platform enabled participants to contribute anonymously in real-time. Attendees could ask questions and engage in discussions, ensuring all voices were heard.
The result? The platform helped facilitate 702 new connections – an average of 6.3 per active participant – and achieved an impressive 85% activity rate. It proved that with the right tools in place, meaningful engagement is possible across cultures and communication styles.
Creating a lasting legacy
Post-event, the Swapcard platform was evolved to facilitate a six-month Community of Practice (CoP), providing ongoing access to event outputs, including the new Mandate, AI-assisted reports, executive summaries, and a range of multimedia resources; all of which combined to enable ongoing dialog long after the event finished.
”We generated so many insights to consider in developing projects in Indonesia. Moreover, the technology increased participant engagement before, during and after the event, especially in ASEAN countries where people are often more reserved and less forthcoming.
