The British Schools of Rio de Janeiro (BSRJ), a prestigious international education institution with locations spanning nine countries, required a comprehensive solution for their annual staff development conference. With the global reach of the event and the diverse needs of attendees, a virtual format was chosen to ensure maximum participation and engagement.

The project entailed meticulous planning, organization, and execution of the virtual conference. This included conducting workshops to define event goals, mapping attendee journeys, establishing timelines and deadlines, crafting a detailed agenda, assigning roles and responsibilities, and developing marketing and sales strategies.

In addition to logistical planning, the project involved designing and automating over 30 email communications for attendees and speakers, conducting individual tech checks with 25 speakers, facilitating 198 workshops, and supporting 45 networking meetings for 440 attendees across three consecutive days.

1. Comprehensive Event Planning: Develop a detailed plan encompassing all aspects of the virtual conference, from concept to execution.

2. Seamless Virtual Experience: Create a user-friendly and engaging virtual environment that replicated the experience of an in-person conference.

3. Personalized Attendee Journeys: Enable attendees to customize their schedules by selecting workshops and breakout sessions based on their interests and professional development needs.

4. Robust Technical Infrastructure: Utilize a hybrid model with Hopin as the main event platform and Zoom for live workshops and breakout sessions to ensure smooth delivery of content and seamless interaction.

5. Effective Communication and Support: Design and automate personalized email communications, conduct tech checks with speakers, and provide comprehensive support to attendees throughout the event.

The virtual staff development conference for BSRJ was a resounding success. The meticulous planning, personalized attendee experience, and robust technical infrastructure resulted in high engagement, positive feedback, and valuable professional development opportunities for staff members across nine countries. The project demonstrated the power of virtual events to connect and educate a global audience while maintaining the intimacy and interactivity of in-person gatherings.