For the first time in its 152-year history the American Dental Association’s [ADA] annual meeting is making selected content available through a virtual meeting platform. While many events struggle with the concept of even establishing a virtual meeting, the ADA believes it has developed a strategy that will eventually drive attendees to the show floor.
 
“I don’t think there’s a cookie cutter set of rules to how a virtual meeting should work or should not work,” says James Goodman, managing vice president of the division of conference and meeting services for the ADA. “The reality for our annual session, whether we like it or not, is that 90 percent of our membership are not physically attending our annual meeting.”
 
Goodman says that based off of market research conducted for the ADA, the number one influencing factor of whether an attendee will come to an annual session rests on their past attendance. He says the virtual component is designed to peak interest in the live event—a factor that has influenced what content is included in the digital ADA365 platform.
 
“We know that once people attend one physically, they’re far more likely to attend again in the future,” he says. “I think the virtual component is a complementary tool to help us accomplish that—it takes the best aspects of the meeting to that 90 plus percent. With that said, we’re launching a very robust virtual experience.”
 
Goodman says that the group is taking the most appealing attributes of the meeting live to their membership. Part of what they are offering is only available to ADA members while other aspects will be available to the general public.

The three largest components of the in-person ADA annual session are education—over 260 courses—the Market Place exhibition area and the house of delegates, which is the governing body of the association that draws together the common thread for the state and local dental societies.
 
“We are not charging for access at this time,” says Goodman. “We believe this is an added member benefit and hopefully exposes the 90 percent plus to the meeting.”
 
The opening general session, which includes the distinguished speaker series, will be streamed lived through a secure portal on the ADA365 platform to members only, though it won’t be available afterwards due to contractual complications with this year’s selected speaker, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
 
Selected ADA educational sessions will also be streamed to members live and some will be available throughout the year.
 
“It will ebb and flow but the intention is the site will live all the time,” says Goodman. “It’s certain sessions because we don’t want to do something that might deter someone from coming to the annual session. Some of the more popular, cutting edge programs will be available.”
 
One reason for streaming the house of delegates meeting is because the people that will be watching the broadcast have likely “never attended the annual session or have never really become active in a leadership position and become a delegate or an alternate to the house,” says Goodman. “We’ll be able to live Web stream some of the general business of the house to our members.”
 
Goodman adds that while the group is streaming general speeches, the ADA can’t stream delegates debating resolutions or votes because it could some how jeopardize or influence what was going on. 
 
The ADA365 platform also supports buying and selling—a full list of exhibitors, the products they offer and contact information is available.
 
“We’re very mindful of our exhibitors, their ROI and the consideration and concerns they’ve had in the last few years—this is how we add additional value to face-to-face attendance in the future, which is the ultimate benefit to exhibitors down the road,” says Goodman. “We thought if we charged members to participate that we’d be shooting ourselves in the foot.”
 
Only general meeting information—including exhibit and sponsor information and some non-clinical continuing education courses will be available to the general public. The group is only permitting the dental related databases, though, so Goodman says it’s unlikely the true general public will log on, although they can. There will be no charge for that section as well as the member-protected area.

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