Executive Summary

The International College Learning Center Association (ICLCA), through Whova, hosted a four day conference to connect educators, administrators and Learning Center researchers, leading to 92 online discussion rooms and nearly 1600 private messages. This was the nonprofit’s first conference as an officially international organization, and their Whova event allowed them to expand their reach while building tight internal connections.

About ICLCA

ICLCA streamlines learning center administration to ensure students receive researched, innovative academic resources. At their 2023 in-person conference, ICLCA discussed international administration, staffing, funding and program evaluation to support a growing network of college learning centers. The event was designed to facilitate attendee networking and create a strong, connected base for addressing international goals.

ICLCA hosted over 175 speakers and matched over 680 attendees in training sessions, panels and a VR tutoring experience. Their event maximized its in app engagement to foster fun and meaningful connections.

Challenges and Goals

• Sending out timely session updates

If speakers reported last minute flight delays or cancellations, ICLCA wanted to notify attendees immediately. This would allow attendees to adjust their schedules on time and allow organizers to manage event details with confidence.

• Increasing Session Engagement and Attendee Voice

Attendees could easily leave session feedback through ICLCA’s custom surveys on the Whova app.

The conference spotlighted ICLCA’s speakers, but its success also relied on attendees’ session responses. ICLCA wanted their 2023 conference to empower attendees to share their own perspectives in formal feedback and through personal conversations.

• Building Strong Community through Organic Interactions

In-person conferences offer attendees a chance to learn about their field while growing business relationships. ICLCA hoped to organize chat rooms and meetups to keep their attendees connected online and in-person.

• Preparing Attendees Before the Event

To help the event run smoothly, ICLCA wanted attendees to understand its layout ahead of time. This meant providing attendees with early access to event information and an accessible platform for breaking down the logistics.

Solutions

ICLCA allowed attendees to network across various educational institutions. They helped vendors, learning center professionals and the students they serve through organized, intuitive event management.

• Gamification

ICLCA used an extra $60 rewards card to kick start a surprisingly active Whova leaderboard competition. To increase their engagement points, attendees posted pet pictures, messages and feedback, and they eventually took this energy offline by organizing dinner plans and rideshares.

ICLCA used Whova’s gamification features to set up a leaderboard and reward their biggest participant. This led to increased engagement on the community board and more networking across the event.

• Community Board Meetups

Attendees started meetups to connect over similar interests and explore Oregon together.

The Whova Community Board included a page specifically for scheduling meetups outside of the event. Through this meetup feature, the ICLCA attendees created fifteen social events ranging from a publishing talk to a trip to the yarn store. 

• Interactive Floor Plan

Through Whova’s interactive floor plan, attendees could visualize where they had to be and the directions to get there on time. They also had the opportunity to view exhibitor flyers through the online floorplan, offering exhibitors more potential leads without having to leave their physical space.

• Event Announcements 

The announcement center allowed organizers to instantly update attendees on their TV raffle, session room changes and local breakfast discounts. This meant that the ICLCA conference could catch any hiccups as well as add last minute bonuses (like new restaurant discounts) as they came.

• Easy To Use App Setup and Friendly Whova Support Staff

ICLCA appreciated Whova’s accessibility because the app is organized to be easy to learn. A Whova representative answered ICLCA questions in advance, and this allowed them to focus less on technicalities and more on outcomes.

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