Conference News: Bloomberg at COP26; Interview with HLTH; ISTE CFP
Bloomberg Plays Good COP: The UK will host the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow from 31 October – 12 November 2021. Against the backdrop of this gathering, Bloomberg will host a series of events across the week of 8th November, both in Glasgow and streaming live on their virtual hub. They will convene corporate leaders, government officials and industry specialists from NGOs, IGOs, business and academia for events and conversations focused on creating solutions to support the goals that come out of COP26. Some of the events will include morning briefings on the COP26 theme of the day, The Bloomberg Green Summit and the Green Dinner.
First for Feature Film Fest: Playback, one of Canada’s leading screen business publications, is launching a new virtual event “to bolster and celebrate the Canadian independent feature film industry and serve as an ignition point for new projects and partnerships.” The Playback Festival will include two days of panels, meetings and networking opportunities highlighting the present and future of the film development, financing and production ecosystem on 9 – 10 November. The audience will be made up of creative and business professionals from across Canada, the U.S., Europe and around the world, namely producers, writers, directors, agents, funding bodies, investors and distribution professionals as well as festival programmers, streamers and other industry stakeholders.
Speaking Opportunity: Created to advance learning technology, the International Society for Technology in Education’s ISTE Annual Conference & Expo (26-29 June) heads to the Big Easy in 2022 but invited speakers will have the choice to present in-person in New Orleans or virtually. Presenters at ISTE include educators at all levels, although exhibitor proposals that demonstrate non-commercial uses of technology to transform education are also welcome. Submit by 1 October for most session types, including lectures, panels, and labs. (Candidates interested in mainstage spots can apply through a separate process here.) Acceptance rates for most session formats hover around 20%, so here are some tips from ISTE on creating a proposal that stands out: Be relevant. Show, don’t tell. And be inclusive.
Conference Manager Q&A: Jody Tropeano, Content Director at HLTH sat down with Speaker Strategies to answer a couple questions. We were very appreciative as she is busy producing this year’s HLTH Conference which will be at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center from 17 – 20 October.
Speaker Strategies: “What is the most important trait of a good speaker?”
Jody: “In my experience, the best speakers do not follow a script, but speak from the heart. You can clearly sense a speaker’s passion for the topic at hand when they are candid, personal and not afraid to address failures on top of successes. Sales pitches and corporate jargon are really just fluff and often do not leave the audience with any value. Great speakers’ leadership really radiates throughout the room as they engage the audience. Hoping for many memorable moments on stage at HLTH 2021!”
Speaker Strategies: “What are you doing to keep attendees safe at the event?”
Jody: “We are requiring that all in person attendees and staff be fully vaccinated to gain entry to the event and are verifying this through the CLEAR Health Pass app. In addition to our vaccination requirement, HLTH will have a mask mandate in place for all attendees and staff. We are also implementing mandatory testing for all attendees and staff prior to entering the event. Attendees will have the option to get a PCR test on their own within 72 hours of arriving at HLTH or opt to get tested at our venue upon arrival. Our onsite tests will be rapid antigen tests administered by Impact Health and attendees will not incur any costs for utilizing this service. It is not easy to organize testing for 5,000+ attendees and may not be the popular decision, but we feel it is the right thing to do to ensure a safe event. It is a big lift for our entire team to work through these safety precautions, but our team is very committed to making HLTH a safe and successful in person event.”
Coming Up Next Week: Originally created in 1994 and inspired by the legacy of Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, Grace Hopper Celebration/GHC gets underway online 27 September and spotlights the research and career interests of women in computing and technology. Fast Company’s Innovation Festival (27 September – 1 October) will focus on the theme, THE REBUILDERS – those are who are reimagining, reinventing, and rebuilding business, society, culture, and community. Kicking off 27 September in Beverly Hills, Re/code’s Code Conference 2021 will address the role of tech in our new reality, including the hottest IPO market since 1999, the development of a vaccine in record time, and climate change tech. Attendees at The Next Web/TNW Conference got the green light this month attend in-person in Amsterdam (30 September – 1 October), while those unable to travel still have the option to participate virtually. WSJ’s next edition of Women in the Workplace Forum will be held virtually 27 September from 11am-7pm EDT. Here, solutions-focused conversations will center around commitments to a more inclusive workforce, equitable recovery, affordable childcare, and remote work flexibility. SaaStr Annual Conference has offerings for attendees in the SF area and for virtual participants when it runs 27-29 September. Finally, leaders, technologists, and industry veterans are counting down to the start of MIT Technology Review’s online EmTech program on 28 September.