What to Expect at an ACES VCON
By ACES Staff
An ACES virtual conference is several days of intimate video chats with hundreds of people, plus discussion boards on every topic, along with a little gaming on the side. All focusing on editing.
In other words, just like an in-person ACES conference: educational sessions across a wide variety of subjects in a range of experience levels combined with building community among editors, aka networking.
New to the ACES VCON model? Or an old hand? Either way, here are a few tips to keep in mind about an ACES virtual conference:
Before the conference
- Review “Know Before You Show”
You know an ACES conference is imminent when you receive the “Know Before You Show” PDF. It is designed to answer as many questions as possible about the upcoming event. It’s the first place to check when you have a question.
The VCON “Know Before You Show” and the invitation to Whova (see below) will be sent a week or two before the conference begins. These will be the only pre-conference communications ACES will send you, other than your registration confirmation.
If you want to keep up with ACES news in the meantime, please subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
- Get familiar with Whova
About the same time you get the “Know Before You Show,” you will receive an invitation to join Whova, the conference app. We recommend you log in immediately and start getting familiar with it. Your conference will be much more fulfilling if you don’t have learn it on opening day.
Whova offers a number of resources available, including the Whova Attendee Guide, which is worth checking out.
You can also check out the ACES article “How to Whova,” with lots of tips.
An essential aspect of any conference, even virtual, is networking. You can do that easily in Whova by completing your profile — including your picture — answering an icebreaker question, and reading and liking other icebreakers.
Then you’ll be ready to jump into the Community channel, with threads like Organizer Announcements, Ask the Organizers Anything, Job Openings, and Article Sharing. Start your own — lots of people do.
- Meet the Community — set your agenda — visit the sponsors — check out the leaderboard
The agenda tab shows you the daily schedule of sessions, including the openings and closings. Filter it in a number of ways, including by one of the topics, including Core Editing Skills, Words and Language, and Business of Editing, by track and speaker.
Community is where everyone gathers — attendees, presenters, sponsors, and organizers. Set up your own discussion and jump into others.
You can also Ask the Organizers if you have a question that isn’t already answered in the “Know Before You Show.”
Our sponsors offer a variety of editing resources. Be sure to visit them and engage.
The leaderboard presents challenges to attendees so that they can rack up participation points and get a chance to win prizes, including free registration to a future ACES conference, and ACES merch.
- Decide which platform you’ll be using.
Virtual conference attendees typically use Whova on their desktop. You may prefer to use your mobile or tablet. Some people switch back and forth, especially if they’re multitasking.
NOTE: The ACES virtual conferences are on Eastern time. Whova will adjust to your time zone.
During the conference
- Watch for alerts
Conference goers will receive alerts through Whova notifying them a few minutes before the start of the morning and afternoon sessions. Look for other occasional announcements as well. We try to keep these to a minimum, so stay on top of your agenda start times.
- Don’t forget the Opening and Closing sessions
An ACES VCON is anchored by conference Opening and Closing sessions, at the beginning of the first day and the end of the third. Announcements are made; introductions are had; questions are answered; community is built. You also won’t want to miss the announcement of the annual Headline Contest winners.
- In the sessions
Each session will start and end promptly. Each one begins with a presentation by the presenter(s) and is followed by a Q&A. A couple of the presentations are recorded but the presenters are always there to answer questions.
You can post questions for the presenters at any time in each session’s entry on Whova. Or you can wait for the actual session and post them in the chat.
The chat can be very active and it’s helpful to the presenter if the conversation is mostly focused on the session. They are also around all conference to engage with and answer questions.
After the conference
- The 90-day conference
Whova is open to attendees for 90 days after the end of the conference. That means all presentations and accompanying materials, sponsor information, and the Community channels. Come for the lively three days and stay for the three months of ongoing editing sessions, discussions, and community.
One final thought
Keep in mind that a conference is still a conference, even if it’s virtual. Pace yourself. Treat yourself to a hot drink. Chat with an editor friend. Visit your local bookstore or public library. Bring the VCON into your world. And be sure to take as many breaks as you need.
