Riding the momentum of a successful virtual CME event in June, the New Zealand Medical Association was just 48 hours out from its August 13-16 annual meeting that would bring to the city of Christchurch more than 600 general practitioners. But at the worst possible moment for NZMA—August 11, to be exact—that nation’s federal government declared an immediate ban on in-person gatherings of more than 100 people in order to stop the rising number of Covid-19 cases across the country.
The physical convention space was almost fully built out, and most everyone was preparing to fly or drive to Christchurch. Could 330 sessions from 91 medical educators be transformed for an online presentation before the scheduled start of the event? Incredibly, they could. NZMA and its tech provider, Shipleys International, documented the breakneck conversion with this article and accompanying 75-second video.
