Virtual Energy Forum…brilliant!
I recently had the privilege of attending the Virtual Energy Forum and was thrilled with the experience. Not only was the forum itself excellent, but so too was its content. The experience begins not by slogging to the airport, getting on a plane and checking into a massive convention hall, but rather after logging in from my computer wherever I already happened to be. Attendees were able to browse an Exhibit Hall and interact with exhibitors via live chat. Sessions were held interview style, for the most part, and virtual audience questions were seamlessly integrated throughout.
Though many “virtual” conferences have begun popping up, they often feel as though they have been planned in RL and VR is an afterthought. How many times have we seen a list of files for download or supposed live microblogging of an event slow or stop all together because the event’s wifi is down or insufficient to handle the load. The VEF seemed to be setup and managed from a completely virtual perspective. As the trend of low RL conference turnout increases given the tight economy and operational “greening,” more and more conferences should become truly virtual.
The content of the VEF will be available for 90 days. The Hess and Merck sessions were particularly interesting and described much about what both companies are thinking and doing in the “green.”
