TORONTO — The Canadian Telecom Summit is still on track to proceed as a physical event in September, but organizers said Monday they are putting together plans to run the conference as a hybrid event which would include an online option for attendees.
In an email sent to delegates on Monday, CTS event director Richard Jirka said organizers have been developing a virtual event platform which creates a virtual tradeshow floor, chat rooms, meeting rooms and main stage for keynotes and panel discussions.
“The goal is to provide the telecom community with the same high-level and high-octane content, networking, meeting opportunities, and interaction they would receive at a live CTS event. We will follow all safety procedures, and policies, to ensure a safe show. The event just might look a little different than it has in the previous years,” Jirka writes.
Organizers surveyed the event’s expected audience to see how many were interested in coming to an in-person conference and how many would attend the online portion. The results showed 60% would like to come onsite and participate in person, as long as all Covid-19-related safety protocols are in place and it is safe to do so. Of the remaining survey respondents, 30% were interested in attending the online portion of the conference, while 10% were undecided.
“With government restrictions lifting, as we move into the new phases, we are hopeful we can run a hybrid style type of event. If the government prevents us from running CTS in-person, we will be able to run the show online, and deliver content to the industry,” Jirka adds.
Organizers will provide further updates about the online portion of the event as new features are developed.
