Virtual events Archives - Page 2 of 6

Duties roster

A list of event roles and responsibilities and who will do them. The goal here is to ensure that everyone knows what is expected of them, as well as be able to easily contact a relevant person/team. This may be public or private to the event team. Don’t forget to circulate the roster to the relevant people ahead of the event and ideally host it in a central, shared space that can be referred to.

Citation: Center for Scientific Collaboration and Community Engagement. (2022) CSCCE Glossary: Virtual Events. Pratt, Woodley, Ainsworth, Carter, Crall, Elkins, Gauthier, Ihle, Kornahrens, Martinic, Santistevan, Shaikh, Sidik, and Wyatt doi: 10.5281/zenodo.6608609

Facilitator

An individual who is running a stand-alone event such as a workshop, or a session within a larger event. A facilitator aims to engage the participants in a way that is inclusive and supports the group in working together responsively to address the event’s topics. Facilitators may be members of the community, part of the event organizing team or staff, or they may be external professionals engaged to guide a group towards a defined goal.

Event producer

This person’s role is to take on any tasks related to technically running an event so that the speaker or facilitator/moderator is free to focus on content and conversation. They assist with tasks such as creating and managing breakout rooms and monitoring the chat, as well as ensuring links to relevant content are shared and accessible to participants (e.g., a virtual notes doc).

See also: Technical facilitator

Github repo

A Github repository is a collaborative virtual platform that allows for sharing, tracking, and versioning of various resources, particularly code. There are many features that can be leveraged, including a way to track progress through “issues” (a bit like a ticketing system). For communities that are already in the habit of using it, Github may be a very good option to use alongside your virtual event. A hackathon is an example of an event that would likely leverage Github or a similar tool.

Example: Data Umbrella sprints repo

Hashtag

A short, set phrase used with a “#” in front of it on certain social media platforms, which isused so attendees can easily search for conversations about the event on social media and others can follow along with what is happening at the event. The event hashtag is often set by the event organizers and publicized to all event attendees and “followers” on platforms. Where possible, it’s helpful to include it prominently in the event agenda and other event information materials.

To make your hashtag accessible to screen readers, ensure that each word is capitalized (e.g., #TheCSCCEVirtualEventHashtag).

Hybrid event

An event at which some attendees and/or presenters are participating in-person and some attendees and/or presenters are participating virtually. This might involve all in-person participants gathering at the same place or a series of local event “hubs” happening within a certain timeframe. Participants may have access to asynchronous content in order to facilitate connections across time zones.

Icebreaker

An activity designed to facilitate the formation of connections between participants in an event who likely do not know one another. There are many different formats for both virtual and in-person icebreakers that range from roundtable introductions to intricate games and activities. Remember that participants may have different comfort levels with icebreaker activities and be mindful to make the disclosure of personal information optional and contextually appropriate for all attendees.

Indigenous land acknowledgment

A statement given at the beginning of an event/session/presentation to acknowledge the history of the land where the host or presenter resides.

Further reading: A guide to indigenous land acknowledgment

Interpreter

Someone who offers translation services in real time. For example, a visible sign-language interpreter or a virtual interpreter providing subtitling services.

Livestreaming

The filming and live broadcast of an event on the internet for free or via a paid platform. Viewers of the online broadcast can listen and watch, and may be able to participate by sending written messages.Some platforms have built-in livestreaming capabilities (e.g., you can broadcast your Zoom event via YouTube).