IWITOT 2020 goes virtual due to Covid-19 concerns
Melanie May | 12 March 2020 | News
SOFII and Open Creates have cancelled their main London IWITOT live event, which was due to be held on 21 April, and will make it completely virtual this year, due to concerns over the Covid-19 pandemic.
This year’s IWITOT had already been launched with a virtual element, and this will now be the only way to access the London IWITOT event in 2020 in a bid to help prevent the spread of infection and alleviate worry for those who had bought a ticket and were unsure of whether to attend.
As such, all of the planned IWITOT content and efforts will now be put solely into SOFII and Open’s existing virtual event, which will now be held on the same date: 21 April.
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It is being run through virtual platform partner, Fundraising Everywhere+, and will be a virtual conference experience allowing attendees to interact live with SOFII and Open hosts, as well as all the IWITOT speakers. Tickets are available here.
Tickets have already been sold to fundraisers in Italy, Israel, the UK and the United States. Anyone, in any country can access IWITOT, with Open and SOFII aiming to have 1000+ fundraisers online networking, sharing, and celebrating great fundraising ideas.
Those who have bought London tickets have been offered the number of equivalent virtual tickets or a full refund. The money raised goes to charity The SOFII Foundation.
The virtual conference will also be available online for one month post-event to give fundraisers the chance to watch all the content in their own time.
The conference will run between 12.30pm – 5pm on 21 April (and 7:30 to 12:00 EST) and will see 18 speakers have seven minutes each to share the idea they wish they had thought of.
Confirmed speakers so far include:
- Mike Barlett (Money Tree Fundraising)
- Chloe Green (Forward Action)
- Kirsty Marrins (Third Sector/Charity Comms)
- Tahera Mayat (#Charity Hour)
- Erin McGuire (SickKids)
- Joe Nicholson (Consider Creative)
- Rima Sonigara (Greenpeace)
- Felicity Spencer-Smith (Institute of Fundraising)
- Lyndall Stein (ActionAid International)
- Saleem Tejani (DTV Group)
- Helen Trenchard (British Red Cross)
- Julia Worthington (Amber Consulting)
There will also be live hosting from SOFII and Open Creates, plus special guest appearances by campaign owners and the speakers themselves.
The virtual platform hosts a chat function where attendees can get involved with their own IWITOT ideas, thoughts and opinions.
Ken Burnett, SOFII Trustee, said:
“While SOFII would have loved to welcome fundraisers to our day conference in London, we feel moving to a fully virtual event is the right thing to do in these uncertain times. We are thrilled that we had already planned a virtual element, and now can put all our energies into making it an IWITOT experience that is totally new, engaging and truly global. Fundraisers from all over the world will feel like they are in the room together, sharing the very best of the sector.”
James Briggs at Open Creates added:
“I’m gutted that we’re not going to get together in person to do this but I’m determined that we’re going to make more money, reach more people and make a bigger impact with our virtual IWITOT.
“I know that other agencies and the sector as a whole will pull together with us and make this a virtual afternoon to remember.”
More IWITOT
- IWITOT 2015 showcases three up-and-coming fundraisers (12 August 2015)
- Are we getting it right? And who is? I Wish I’d Thought of That 2015 (11 September 2015)
- I Wish I’d Thought of That. I want to talk at that! (5 July 2014)
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.