The main online event platforms for the Researcher to Reader Conference have now been built and are in final testing. The live interactive online event will be taking place on 23-24 February 2021.

To deliver the interactive online event, R2R will be using four main components:

• An online event platform (OnAIR)
  For timeline management, plenary session presentation text chat, participant information, one-to-one text or video meetings, and sponsor information.
• A professional AV studio (Giggabox)
  To manage the plenary sessions, which include a debate, interviews, panels and presentations.
• A virtual rooms networking platform (Spatial Chat)
  For face-to-face video networking and the interactive workshops.
• A video-conferencing platform (Zoom)
  For the Orientation meetings and for the Lightning Poster sessions.

The online event platform (OnAir) build is now complete, with the timeline and other components set up to support effective navigation around the whole Conference. Final testing of this robust global online event solution is almost complete.

The Conference moderators and speakers have been briefed by the professional studio production team and are fully prepared to deliver their live and interactive sessions.

The virtual rooms networking environment (SpatialChat) has also been built and tested, and is ready for use both for informal networking, and for the interactive workshops. The workshops will also be supported by other online tools such as Miro and Mentimeter. A backup networking environment, using another platform, has also been prepared as a ‘warm standby’ solution, in case of unforeseen problems.

The Zoom meetings have been set up and tested ready to deliver pre-conference orientation for those participants who want to drop in, and the Lightning Poster sessions that are offered during the breaks in the main programme.

R2R Online is ready to go! Registration for this fully-live and highly interactive online event, with face-to-face online networking, will remain open until the morning of Monday 22 February. https://r2rconf.com/r2r-registration/

Mark Carden
19 February 2021