Between 12 and 16 April, Rotterdam was the setting for the 14th IALA Symposium, the theme of this edition being maritime safety and efficiency through cooperation. With 15 hours of live streaming, 12 theme sessions and more than 40 speakers from all over the world, the edition was a great success. To make sure this all proceeded smoothly, the organisation made use of Networkapp.
For the experienced chairperson of the day, Pauline de Wilde, the IALA Symposium was truly ‘next level’. “We switched, I believe, with about 27 different time zones, a very special experience that was also completely new to me,” she says. “There were roadmaps beforehand and yet every day we looked at what was possible so that there was also room for spontaneous actions.” For example, they thought it would be interesting and fun to use a poll or to ask participants for photos.
“The interconnection between participants worldwide was very high,” says De Wilde. That was a result of the interaction they were looking for from Rotterdam. “By putting out a poll, for example, I was able to present some nice facts based on figures at the end of the day. And that was well received, because participants felt part of the programme despite the enormous distance.”
A team from communication agency PINO, Smile Light and Sound, chairman of the day De Wilde, Elma Bassa from Networkapp and director Lieke van Zutphen ensured that the Symposium was one not to be forgotten. Normally the IALA Symposium takes place physically, but because of Covid-19 this edition was completely online.
Director Van Zutphen is also very pleased with the cooperation. “It was very nice that Elma from Networkapp was also part of the team,” she says. “She is very motivated to get the best result and of course she knows exactly what all the possibilities of Networkapp are.” Pauline de Wilde also liked the fact that she was informed about all the possibilities and functionalities of Networkapp in this way. “This way I could also contribute ideas myself, things that you can’t think of beforehand. Good cooperation with a team ensures that you can get everything out of such an event and the platform.”
"Networking is difficult during an online event, but we have shown that it is possible. Conversations were started in the chat and continued after the sessions. Connections were made and experiences and knowledge were exchanged and that is exactly what you want."
Pauline de Wilde, day chairman