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The 2024 Virtual Conference is so much more than 10 days of fabulous content and great speakers. SAQA will be using the Whova event platform which will allow attendees to maximize their conference experience. You will have opportunities to connect and network with other attendees.
Please contact us at conference@saqa.art or read our conference FAQs for more information.
Want to learn more about using Whova? Have questions about the conference in general?
Be sure to attend our Conference Tips & Tricks online meeting on April 11th at 1pm EDT (GMT/UTC -4). This session will be recorded for future viewing.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83303337322
Meeting ID: 833 0333 7322
We have also put together some Whova FAQs which will be continually updated. This information is also available under FAQs while in the Whova app.
Creating your Whova Account
To take advantage of all that the conference has to offer, you will need to setup an account on Whova. While it is not required (most webinars and meetings on Zoom can be accessed via direct links in your conference emails), it is highly recommended.
When setting up your Whova account. you will need to use the same email that you used when you registered for the conference. If you have any problems, please contact us at conference@saqa.art.
- If you have used Whova before, you can just log into your existing Whova account.
- If you have not used Whova before, you will need to create a new account.
For security reasons you may need to enter a verification code send via email (check your spam). Once you create your account, you will be prompted to complete your online profile. This is a great way for other attendees to get to know you! In addition to a profile picture, you can also include your location, website, bio, and social media accounts. You can always go back and add more information later.
To get back into Whova in your browser, just bookmark the link https://whova.com/portal/webapp/saqaa_202404/
Whova offers both a Web app (accessed through a browser on your computer - Chrome is recommended) and a mobile app (iOS and Android). We suggest trying out both - the web version allows for better viewing of presentations but the mobile version is great for connecting with others. There are some differences in functionality that you will need to be aware of.
- You will need to use the mobile version to change some settings such as opting out of the directory.
- The mobile version also allows you to more easily share contact information with others and post your photos
For details about using both, check out Whova's official user guides:
Attendee User Guide
How to use the Whova App
Once in Whova, be sure to check out the online FAQs in the Resource section as they are frequently updated.
Ease of Access to Information
Once you sign up with Whova, everything about the conference will be readily available in a single place. This includes displaying the full conference schedule in YOUR time zone. Plus, you will be able to create a personal agenda for your selected events. You can even add sessions and meet-ups to your preferred calendar of choice (Outlook, Google, etc.)
Details about each presentation and speaker are just a click away, including links to watch the session live and to access the recording afterwards. Recordings of webinar presentations will be posted within a couple days and will be available for 3 months after the conference.
Community Connections
In-person conferences offer a lot of opportunities to connect with other attendees, whether watching a presentation, enjoying a tour, or waiting in the buffet line. While we can't replicate these experiences exactly, we are really excited about the many different ways you will be able to interact with other attendees.
On the conference schedule, you will see some agenda items marked as Community Connections - these are scheduled opportunities for you to meet and chat with other attendees. Due to the format, these will not be recorded.
We are also offering four sessions of Coffee, Cocktails & Conversation. Once you join a session, you will be automatically matched with 3 other people for some casual conversations via video chat. Since it's totally random, you never know who you will be matched with. After 10 minutes, everyone will be shuffled again - you are bound to meet someone new!
You may also want to drop in on one of the Mid-week Sessions which will feature prerecorded artist talks and studio tours. While these sessions won't be recorded, all the pre-recorded content will be made immediately available.
There may also be some Virtual Meetups scheduled during the event. These are organized by attendees and will cover a variety of topics. Please refer to the Whova FAQs in the Resource section for more details about scheduling these.
More Networking Opportunities
Whova allows us to create a private, online community just for conference attendees. Best of all, you will have access to this community before, during, and after the conference (early April through mid-July).
All registered attendees can set up a profile on Whova and will be listed in the online directory (you can hide your profile if you wish). You can add your social media links, share some interests, and include a bio and profile photo. Each attendee will also be able to create their own personal gallery of their artwork.
Just as easy as texting your friends and family, you will be able to message and share photos with other attendees. No personal information (email or phone number) is ever shared unless you specifically allow it.
You will also be able to video chat with other attendees, either one on one or in a small group. Want even more engagement? Then be sure to check out the list of Virtual Meetups - these are online meetings initiated by other attendees and can be about a specific topic (surface design, marketing your art, writing books, etc.) or just a casual get-together (bananagrams anyone?)
Don't see a Virtual Meet Up that interests you or fits your schedule? Then create your own - you can pick the topic and the time! Just be sure to read the FAQs within Whova for more details about what NOT to do.
If that's not enough, there will also be an online discussion board where people can post on different topics and share their images.
