Need to move an event online? OCE's Conference Services can help

May 29, 2020

Outreach and Continuing Education’s Conference Services is now providing virtual and digital conference coordination services, available for anyone at Western who has had their event canceled and is looking to move it online, or who has an event on the calendar in upcoming months.  

Conference Services recently assisted with the virtual conversion and execution of the 2020 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (SSEC), in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual event, which consisted of 15 sessions over two days, saw 3,700 individuals registered, representing 23 countries, 33 states and 10 provinces. SSEC is administered by the Salish Sea Institute. 

Conferences Services also planned and executed Western C.A.R.E.S., an online platform empowering local communities Western supports to connect virtually to share and maintain a sense of belonging and engagement during stay-at-home days due to the pandemic. Since the first session in March, there have been over 760 attendees, served by 41 instructors across 53 sessions. 

A team of skilled experts with over 13 years of combined event planning and nine years of project-management experience, Conference Services is ready to assist with many types of events including conferences, academic and scientific meetings, symposiums, trainings and workshops. They can support with: 

  • Coordination of both on-and off-campus in-person events (food and beverage, space, audio visual, on-site operations and logistics, expense tracking and more). 

  • Start-to-finish coordination of virtual or digital events (event structure, registration management, technical trainings, third party software liaison and more). 

  • Conversion and contingency planning for smooth transitions of in-person events to virtual or digital formats. 

  

“These are unprecedented times,” said Chelsea Bodamer, event coordinator for Conference Services. “We are grateful to offer new and adaptive event coordination services to Western and the greater academic community alike.” 

To learn more or submit an inquiry, visit oce.wwu.edu/conference-services, call (360) 650-6235, or email conferences@wwu.edu .  

About Outreach and Continuing Education (OCE):  OCE began at Western Washington University in 1912 to help with the first home study course for teachers. OCE now supports diverse professional and community learning opportunities throughout the Puget Sound and Central Salish Sea regions. OCE works with Western's departments and local communities, linking university resources with educational needs and opportunities. For more information, visit oce.wwu.edu.