A Collaborative Event Leading To An Engaged Community

The Maritime IWT Conference 2025, Singapore (125 people including 54 speakers and 15 exhibitors)

Challenge:

The client, an executive agency of Defra, sought to design and deliver a highly engaging, interactive, and impactful international conference focused on combating maritime illegal wildlife trade (IWT). The event needed to foster collaboration, ensure diverse perspectives were heard, and establish a lasting legacy. The event dates were shifted from November 2024 to February 2025, necessitating a rapid adjustment of planning timelines.

Solution:

We partnered with the client planning team, implementing a structured, collaborative approach.

Strategic Planning:

Commencing in July 2024 with bi-monthly planning meetings, transitioning to weekly meetings in October 2024 to accommodate the date change.

Co-designed a 3-day in-person conference, establishing clear event purpose, objectives, and desired outcomes.

Prioritised inclusivity, ensuring all stakeholders could contribute fully throughout the event lifecycle.

Comprehensive Event Design:

Developed a dynamic programme incorporating diverse session formats: presentations, breakout sessions, panel discussions, parallel workstreams, table group discussions, and plenary sessions.

Provided expert guidance on session design, ensuring balanced content and interactive engagement.

Meticulous planning and documentation, including weekly action tracking and proactive risk management.

Enhanced Engagement Through Technology:

We deployed Swapcard, a secure digital platform, to facilitate pre-event engagement, registration, networking, and content dissemination (agenda, speaker and attendee profiles, session descriptions, exhibitors showcase, and field trip sign-ups).

Enabled real-time, anonymous, interaction during the conference for session contributions, questions, and discussions, ensuring all voices were heard.

Post-Event Community:

We transitioned the Swapcard platform into a lasting community, providing access to event resources (IWT Mandate for Marine Species, video/audio assets), fostering continued collaboration, and offering supplementary materials (AI-assisted reports, podcasts and executive summaries).

Outcomes and Impact:

Production of the "IWT Mandate for Marine Species”, a report co-created live by the participants.

Creation of the "IWT Future Now" report.

Enabled 702 connections through the digital platform (6.3 contacts per active participant).

85% activity rate on the digital platforms.

Generated 8 AI-transcribed and summarised session video recordings and 4 "Vox Pop" interviews.

Participant Feedback: "There are so many insights I could consider in developing projects in Indonesia. Moreover, the technology increased participant engagement, especially in ASEAN countries where people are often more reserved."

Read the client's blog post here.