APHSA Deploys Virtual EventBots to Augment Virtual Events
Since 1930 APHSA has established itself as the leading bipartisan, nonprofit organization representing health and human services organizations throughout the country. APHSA connects its members to national policymakers and human services organizations across a wide circle of stakeholders in the health and human services sector, as well as key partners in education, housing, employment, and others.
THE EVENT
APHSA hosted two separate events as a part of its Experience 360 Virtual Event series:
The National Staff Development and Training Association (NSDTA) virtual event took place on October 6-7, 2020. Focusing on staff training and development, it included a wide variety of presentation and breakout sessions covering important topics from employee wellness to leadership development.
The American Association of Health and Human Services Attorneys (AAHHSA) virtual event was held on October 20-21, 2020, offering AAHHSA members the ability to earn continuing legal education units, hear from top attorneys in their field, and receive recent federal updates.
THE CHALLENGE
Due to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, both experiences were significantly understaffed. On top of this, event planners had to pivot by transitioning an in-person event to a virtual platform. APHSA planners knew that these two elements would lead to a flurry of questions from accessing and navigating the new virtual platform to the agenda, speakers, and more. The specific objectives of employing a Virtual EventBot were:
1. Ease the burden of being understaffed by providing a simple and easy communication channel for attendees to get answers quickly
2. Drive greater attendee engagement and satisfaction at their first virtual events
3. Ensure a smooth transition from a physical event to virtual event
IMPLEMENTATION
42Chat deployed Virtual EventBots for each event. Attendees and staff alike were delighted by the efficient and helpful responses that the bots gave throughout the experience. The Chatbots were placed strategically on APHSA’s website at the following URLs:
NSDTA1: https://www.nsdtaconference.com
AAHSA: https://www.aahhsaconference.com
Attendees consistently asked questions before and during the show to ensure they were kept up to date on event details.
THE RESULTS
Thanks to the chatbots, over 980 attendee questions were answered over the course of the two events. This saved the APHSA team time and money by allowing them to focus on hosting a great event rather than fielding calls and emails. Registration, remote attendance, and agenda were among the top three categories that attendees had questions about.
IMPACT AND LESSONS LEARNED
The Virtual EventBots quickly became a critical component of APHSA’s virtual event experience by adding a convenient and easily accessible channel and providing attendees with quick answers to their questions around the schedules, sessions, and technology. Not only did the Bots answer these important questions, it also uncovered previously unaddressed topics that users asked about, which allows APHSA to identify areas of improvement for the next event.