Making Human Connections Next Week in a Time of Social Distancing

Making Human Connections Next Week in a Time of Social Distancing

NHA thanks our sponsors:

Gilkes

When the COVID 19 pandemic hit in March of 2021, organizations and individuals had to get creative in finding ways to stay connected and maintain relationships. Since then, we’ve all become frequent users of virtual video-conferencing platforms such as GoTo Meeting, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and countless others.

What we all seem to still be missing, though, is the informal networking that comes with live events – saying hello over a cup of coffee, having a spontaneous hallway conversation, or bumping into someone at a reception.

Given that void, the National Hydropower Association (NHA) is providing attendees a unique tool that simulates the live experience we’ve all been missing during next week’s Waterpower Week and International Conference on Ocean Energy (ICOE) virtual events.

“I hear from the industry over and over again that one of the highlights of NHA events is the personal connections that can be made,” says Malcolm Woolf, President and CEO of NHA. “I also hear that “zoom-fatigue” is as common as seasonal allergies! For the virtual events we are holding next week, we’ve put a lot of thought and effort into leveraging cutting-edge technology to find a dynamic, interactive platform that offers more than just watching your computer screen.”

At both of next week’s events, attendees will have access to a networking tool that will enable them to:

  • Move around and “talk” (via video chat) to any other attendee.
  • Join small groups of people in informal conversations.
  • Sit down at a virtual “table” with others to informally interact.
  • Search for a specific person to find their specific location in the networking area
  • Message an attendee directly (i.e., send a private chat) and schedule 1-on-1 meetings

Of course, in-person human interaction is still irreplaceable, but we should not settle for disengagement. “While we are all looking forward to gathering in person soon (i.e., Clean Currents in October 2021), I encourage those who work in the industry and those who affect the industry to join us online next week to ensure that physical distance does not become interpersonal distance,” Woolf says.

DETAILS ABOUT THE PLATFORM

Enter Gatherly, the platform NHA is using for networking. Unlike other event platforms, Gatherly is a spatial video chat specifically built for networking. It seeks to mimic real-life mingling, allowing attendees to network freely and speak to who they want to for as long as they wish. Users navigate a digital “map” and join video conversations. Once in a video chat, users can even “lock” their chat if they wish to keep it private and continue their conversation. Other attendees will not be able to join the chat until it is unlocked again.

This digital map also shows the location of everyone in the “room.” Attendees use the platform’s “People” tab to find specific attendees as well as send them direct messages.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN NEXT WEEK’S EVENTS

Individuals can still purchase registrations to either the Waterpower Week event or the International Conference on Ocean Energy (ICOE) event or both. These events offer important opportunities to network with hundreds of individuals in both the conventional hydro and the marine energy sectors of the waterpower business.

The schedules at a glance for each event can help you preview what’s available:

Waterpower Week schedule at a glance

ICOE schedule at a glance

For each event, there will be specific scheduled networking times using the Gatherly platform. Details can be found for Waterpower Week here and for ICOE here.