By Hannah Paraquett, GEIGS GA 2024 Social Media Correspondent
(Edited by Riya Sawhney, GEIGS 2024 Co-Chair )
As the dust settles on the greatness that was the GEIGS 2024 General Assembly, it's time to reflect on our remarkable journey and some key successes behind this event. This year, we not only surpassed expectations but also set new standards in organizing a global, virtual conference – entirely unfunded and powered solely by the dedication and contributions of students and trainees passionate about global surgery.
Every event, no matter the size, has at least three parts: 1) preparation in the lead up to the event, 2) the event itself, and 3) the consequences or how we keep the momentum going. In this blog post I take you behind the scenes of a triumphant General Assembly.
Preparations underway:
In the weeks prior to the Assembly, our team worked tirelessly to plan every aspect of our advocacy strategy. How could we reach the most people? How could we champion the strengths of our speakers? How could we make this a complete learning experience for those who attended? The answer: a bold social media strategy, creative tools to welcome the participants, a clear and cohesive visual identity throughout promotional material and conference media kits,and a wild twitter live session to enhance our conversations.
During planning, we knew that our speakers were the heart of the event, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. To ensure they received the attention they deserved, we launched a series of posts, introducing each speaker and highlighting their impressive credentials. More than just sharing information, our publications were a strategy to connect with our audience showcasing the speakers' journeys and their passion for global surgery - we coupled some speaker introductions with our wider Global Surgery advocacy campaign. In this way, we educated our audience about key concepts, introduced them to leaders in the field, and drummed up excitement for the upcoming event. Prospective attendees expressed their excitement about the lineup: reposting,commenting and interacting with our posts. We got over 300 registrations, far exceeding our initial expectations. Considering we relied primarily on word-of-mouth marketing, the influence of our speakers, and the strategic use of social media, achieving (and surpassing) our goals demonstrates the power of our community!
A welcoming event:
Being a global organization, GEIGS prioritizes trying to connect people from around the world. We attracted delegates from all corners of the globe, representing various disciplines and career grades within the field of global surgery. From newbies to well-rounded researchers: this diversity enriched the discussions and broadened the perspectives shared during the Assembly. Emphasizing the importance of a warm welcome and orienting our delegates, our team developed a comprehensive and thoughtfully curated “Welcome Pack” including essential information, resources, and some unique touches that reflected the spirit of our assembly. Additionally, we curated Zoom backgrounds special to our event for speakers to use, creating a cohesive visual identity. These small but carefully thought-out details helped enhance the delegate experience.
Tweeting up a storm for lasting impact:
During the event, we kept the momentum going with a robust live-tweeting session
highlighting main messages from our keynote speakers and panelists using brief tweets and thoughtful threads. Our social media team (honorable mention to their lightning fast fingertips), composed entirely of volunteers from Brazil, Argentina, Kenya, USA, and Ethiopia, ensured that every significant moment was captured and shared in real-time. This not only kept our online audience engaged but also helped to amplify the reach of our discussions across time-zones. Our efforts were supremely successful.We were “trending” on Twitter/X as the #2 conference that week. Our hashtag #GEIGSGA2024 became a hub for lively discussions, insights, and networking, further cementing GEIGS’ reputation as a leader in global surgery advocacy.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of our 2024 ASSEMBLY is that all these achievements were accomplished by real people with full time commitments such as university or demanding clinical duties, without any financial backing. Every aspect of the event—from planning to execution—was carried out by a dedicated team who volunteered not just their time and skills, but also their deep passion for global surgery. This is a testament to what can be achieved when a group of like-minded individuals come together with a shared vision. It was more than just an event; it was a milestone in the movement for gender equity in global surgery.. We look back with immense pride in what we have accomplished. We have set a new benchmark for what is possible when passion meets purpose, and we are excited to carry this momentum forward into our future endeavours.
Stay tuned to GEIGS’ upcoming work by following our social media @gendereqsurg on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn 💜
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