We’re thrilled to announce Boma’s COVID-19 Virtual Summit has been named a finalist at the 2021 New Zealand Event Association (NZEA) event awards.
Spearheaded by Boma New Zealand in partnership with Boma Germany, Boma France and Boma Global, the summit is up for an Excellence Award in the newly formed ‘Best COVID-19 response for an Event’ category.
The pandemic has posed a challenge unlike any other in modern history. But for us, it has also posed a supreme test — and a rare opportunity — to fulfill our primary purpose: to help people navigate disruption and think critically about the future.
Calling upon the very best of our global network of country partners, experts in virology, infectious diseases and epidemiology, and influencers in technology, policy and business, in less than three weeks we created a truly transformational learning experience aimed at driving understanding about and action in response to the virus.
More than 60 speakers from 20 countries explored every facet of the pandemic — from vaccine research and predictive modelling to food supply shortages and racial stigmas.
On 23 March 2020, Boma New Zealand kicked off the virtual summit with Dr. Siouxsie Wiles and Professor David Murdoch. Over 24 hours the discussion moved around the globe, moderated by 11 different Boma country partners across five continents.
The summit was conducted on Zoom and live streamed on Facebook. Thousands watched the sessions live, and the moderators and panelists took hundreds of questions from Facebook users in real-time.
During the summit and in the days that followed, hundreds of people around the world were inspired to take action and pledged to do what they can to help those most affected by COVID-19.
What began as perhaps an impossibly ambitious idea to convene a global conversation about a pandemic that had just been declared, turned into a true team effort. The event shone a light on a disease with frightening unknowns and spurred meaningful action from people around the world looking for a way to be part of the solution.
NZEA’s general manager Ségolène de Fontenay says the newly formed award category highlights the exceptional responses to challenges posed by the COVID-19:
“Traditionally, the purpose of the awards has been to recognise excellence, promote best practice and creativity, raise awareness of the events sector and celebrate the contribution of the industry. But this year we also needed to recognise the resilience, flexibility and responsiveness of the industry under the trying circumstances and uncertainty of the global COVID-19 pandemic.”
Nga mihi to all that took part in this groundbreaking summit and showing what’s possible when sudden and dramatic disruption ignites action.
The Boma NZ team
