
Keeping 1,100 speakers on time-down to the minute | World Engineers Convention Australia 2019
Key facts
Event: World Engineers Convention Australia 2019
Dates: 20-22 November, 2019
Venue: Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
Attendees: 1,335
Background:
The World Engineers Convention Australia is held every 4 years, attracting industry experts and suppliers from at least 70 countries. For 2019, the committee had designed three full days of program under the theme of Engineering a Sustainable World: The Next 100 Years. Arinex was contracted to provide part-services, including technology to manage program delivery.
Challenges:
With 1,100 speakers packed into 81 sessions in just 3 days, keeping to schedule was critical to the smooth running of WEC 2019. The program was designed for 15-minute presentations and allowed just 3 minutes for change-over in between speakers. Running on time was a key priority for the Organising Committee, who did not want to jeopardise the professionalism of the Convention nor mismanage the large number of presentations.
Solutions:
Arinex’ speaker management software eSpeaker was used to lead the smooth management of the program content. The software simplified the uploading of presentations for all 1,100 speakers and offered the ability to upload ahead of the Convention, which was taken up by 50% of speakers. A dedicated speaker room onsite allowed presenters to upload the remaining presentations, view their presentation and make last-minute changes. eSpeaker also allocated presentations to the correct room at the click of a button whilst allowing for any late room changes or updates. To ensure speakers kept to time during presentations, a countdown system was displayed to each presenter throughout and an automatic close feature ended the presentation once the 15-minute deadline was reached.
Outcomes:
The entire program for WEC 2019 ran to the minute thanks to eSpeaker. Speakers were kept to their 15-minute timeframes and their presentations were easily delivered to seven break-out rooms, with no administrative errors. Most importantly, feedback from speakers was glowing, with many commenting that the live countdown timer system helped them to plan their presentation while the automatic shutdown of presentations ensured a respectful Convention.





















































