2021 SB3C Annual Conference - Virtual Venue

The Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering, and Biotransport Conference (SB3C) held their first fully synchronous virtual annual conference in June of 2021. The 5-day conference, originally planned to take place in person in Vail, Colorado, used a combination of platforms to create a dynamic, engaging event. Scheduling was managed with Whova, podium presentations were delivered in Zoom, but an innovative conference world was needed to bring all the platforms together, form a sense of place, build community, and foster natural interaction among attendees.

AMS and SB3C collaborated to make a truly unique experience that brought Vail to attendees. Using Gather, AMS designed a conference world with a cozy ski lodge interior and outstanding Bavarian village exterior. The lodge consisted of 6 meeting rooms ranging from 50-300 seats, an open floor exhibit hall, a room for networking and social events, and a 300-poster room that utilized color and labeling to direct attendees. A map room was included to transport attendees to key locations.

The Bavarian village hosted activities for virtually any interest. Social butterflies gathered near the fountains, the biergarten, or in the karaoke bar. Culture seekers attended the art exposition or the live concert featuring SB3C’s own band, BEDRock, in the 300-seat Concert Hall. Explorers in the group were whisked up the mountain in a tram for a bird’s eye view of the village below. For the more adventure-minded, a scavenger hunt was cleverly designed with bespoke SB3C clues and prompts. For those outdoorsy thrill-seekers, a bike station showed a first-person video of a mountain biking adventure for all the exhilaration, just without a helmet. For anyone craving an escape, a travel agency whisked attendees away to the beach, fit with dolphin watching, a tiki bar, and a secret cave.

The event garnered a record-breaking 1,000+ attendees and 500+ presentations! Feedback was overwhelmingly positive: “One of the best virtual conferences over the last year”, “The virtual format was handled very well – better than any conference I’ve seen. The poster format in particular was great”, “The virtual world kept me engaged throughout the conference”.