How the Royal Microscopical Society delivered a successful virtual event using ReadyMembership

Partner update
Published on 5 October 2021

Virtual and hybrid events have become the norm over the last 18 months and many organisations have had to reimagine once real life and complex multi-day conferences as engaging online experiences.  This often involves selecting and using technology for the first time. A reliable, flexible and well-supported platform is essential to the success of any online event.

The ultimate interactive event

In July 2021, the Royal Microscopical Society held their flagship five day biannual conference - the Microscience Microscopy Congress - fully online for the first time. 

Big numbers meant a big challenge. There were:

  • 6 simultaneous live streams
  • 51 virtual exhibitors

  • 180 sessions

  • 230 speakers

  • 1200 attendees

The role played by the ReadyMembership platform used for this event was pivotal. Attendees accessed the congress the MMC website, where they could: 

  • Jump in and out of multiple live streams and sessions from the main schedule

  • Watch live scientific sessions in pages with timing countdowns & speaker info

  • Comment and ask speakers questions using the  live chat function

  • Join commercial workshops on external Zoom links (managed within the platform)

  • Talk and book meetings with exhibitors on their virtual stands that included video

  • View a gallery of scientific posters and join break out sessions to discuss work

The feedback from attendees and exhibitors was extremely positive, with participants highlighting the ease of site navigation and switching between streams.

Easier event management

The RMS team saw clear benefits from managing all aspects of the congress from within a single platform - from bookings, emails, agenda and live Zoom streams channelled through Vimeo to the website.

Attendance was higher due to the fact that people didn’t have the real world constraints of travel or accommodation costs. Q&A sessions were easier for moderators to handle with instant selection of questions and no delay from microphone sharing.

“We managed the Q&A sessions better than we ever did in person, thanks to the Live Chat functionality. There was very positive feedback from attendees, who found it really easy to switch between sessions.”  Adam Clay, Finance Director at the Royal Microscopical Society.

This event also widened the teams involved in the congress bringing together experts from across the organisation.

Long-lasting benefits

Post event, attendees can access videos of sessions on demand, as in another first, the RMS recorded them for the first time. In the future exhibitors will be able to upload their own virtual stand content and update it during the congress so that they can highlight a range of their products throughout the event. 

With increased attendance, easier event management and enthusiastic delegates, the platform has shown how to deliver successful virtual events in the future.


 

Partner

ReadyMembership
ReadyMembership

Trusted by ambitious organisations, ReadyMembership part of the Pixl8 Group transforms your digital operations and delivers outstanding experiences for your members. All the power of a leading association management system (AMS) with the ability to flex and grow with your needs. Our all-in-one system unifies CMS, CRM, email marketing, events & awards management, finance and much more, providing comprehensive membership management. It is used by associations in many different sectors who have won major industry awards for their new ReadyMembership websites. Book a meeting with us at Congress and find out how we can help you make managing membership so much easier.

www.readymembership.com/