Challenges

Having a single source of communication with attendees

The organizers would use emails in the past, but it was restrictive and unpredictable. A lot of the reach would be dependent on open rates and the server they were using. With exhibitors, sponsors, and attendees joining the event, a system that could allow organizers to easily reach all types of attendees was incredibly necessary. 

Registering for sessions in advance and assigning rooms

Assigning sessions and speakers to the correct rooms is incredibly important in maintaining order in the event. 

Coordinating conference logistics

The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Conference had sessions in different buildings, which meant their attendees may easily get confused on where to go. 

Engaging attendees during the event

With 700+ attendees, it’s important that they all feel comfortable and included in the event. The organizer emphasized the need for ways to foster attendee engagement. 

Solutions

Communicating with attendees through organizer announcements and Q&A

The Mastercard Foundation organizers released important information through Whova’s Organizer Announcement section on the Community page, promoting breakout sessions, prompting attendees to fill out feedback surveys, and even helping someone recover their lost phone.

Attendees could also use the “Ask Organizers Anything” feature on the Community page to communicate with the event organizers. Through this feature, the Mastercard Foundation organizers could easily address attendee requests and create a seamless experience for everyone. Specifically, organizers were made aware of a problem with flight rescheduling. With this information, they were able to help a few of their attendees get to their flights home on time, creating a long-lasting and positive impression. 

Using Session Cap to obtain accurate headcounts

For many of their sessions, the Mastercard Foundation organizers created Session Caps to set a capacity on their sessions. By having attendees RSVP for them, the organizers were able to obtain accurate headcounts in order to help them plan location and seating logistics. 

Providing a floor map for attendees to reference

By inputting an accessible floor map into the system, organizers can easily guide attendees to where they need to go. The Mastercard Foundation organizers inputted locations for popular locations like the registration desk, tea break areas, and the exhibition areas. 

Polls, Community Board, and photos for engagement 

The Mastercard Foundation organizers utilized polls to stimulate connection between speakers and attendees, as well as start discussions on event topics such as education in Africa and knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI). These polls had 100+ responses, which aided in facilitating attendee-event interaction.

To help attendees mingle and start conversations, the organizers set up Whova’s Community Board, complete with Meetups, Message Topics, the Icebreaker Contest, and more! These features prompt attendees to get together, answer exciting questions, and get to know each other. The Mastercard Foundation Edtech Conference garnered 150 discussion topics, 46 meetups, more than 360 photos, and more than 80 attendee introductions, culminating in an incredibly successful event. 

Conclusion

The integration of Whova’s platform significantly enhanced the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Conference 2024, addressing key challenges and fostering a highly welcoming environment. As noted by Daniel Akpauta, a representative of the organization:

“It was a game-changer in terms of how we engaged the audiences. It also just helped us understand how the audiences felt about the event in a truly in depth manner.” – Daniel Akpauta

The success of this event demonstrates the power of leveraging technology to create more interactive, organized, and impactful conferences in the education sector.