When COVID forced the Forensic Expert Witness Association (FEWA) to postpone its 2020 National Conference, moving the two-day event completely online wasn’t an option — because so much of the education program focused on the intangible skills of testifying in court. Instead, MCI USA worked with FEWA, a full-service Association Solutions client, to transform the conference into a hybrid event that mixed virtual and in-person attendance. This included securing a new venue that offered mock-courtroom facilities and live-streaming capabilities; upgrading FEWA’s online platform and working closely with the venue and speakers on staging, scripting, rehearsing, and broadcasting the program; implementing onsite health and safety protocols in collaboration with the venue; and providing both online and onsite staffing throughout the conference.
Results:
- The hybrid National Conference had 68 attendees, split evenly between in-person and online — about average for FEWA.
- Conference evaluations returned strong results, with virtual attendees giving a 4.11 overall rating and in-person attendees giving a 4.29 overall rating (on a scale of 1–5).
- All of the sponsors that had signed on for the original event signed on to sponsor the hybrid.
- A FEWA representative said: “MCI USA was always in front of the ball and helping us make sure the event went off as smoothly as possible.”
