Using an interface similar to an electronic message board, Rheingold Associates has developed the online equivalent of a three-day convention. Combining web conferencing with skilled facilitation, the Virtual Convention is a profoundly interactive event.
Participants can engage in dialog with the speakers and session leaders as well as with each other.
They can keep a community memory of their presentations and discussions that anyone can read and add to twenty-four hours a day, from any location. Cybrarians help participants gain the most value by helping to index and structure the information generated during the conference. When a session is over, the dialog remains accessible for the duration of the Virtual Convention. When the convention is over, hyperlinked CD-Rom proceedings are available to all participants. Accessible through any web browser, the Virtual Convention offers special events and ongoing opportunities for dialog for a period of three weeks.