Event Overview
The CCNM 2024 Career Expo, held on October 28, 2024, marked a pivotal moment for the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) as it brought together approximately 400 attendees for a one-of-a-kind career fair. Focused on promoting education, research, high-quality patient care, and the integration of naturopathic medicine with allopathic practices, this event also served as an excellent platform for the college to advocate for naturopathic medicine as an essential component of the healthcare ecosystem.
Challenge
In recent years, career fairs have faced growing challenges in offering meaningful, engaging experiences for both job seekers and employers. With traditional in-person events often resulting in long queues, limited interaction, and impersonal engagements, CCNM sought to create a more immersive, meaningful environment where participants could form deeper connections. As the career fair was being organized during the ongoing challenges posed by remote work and social distancing, CCNM knew that a hybrid solution would be key to achieving their goals of fostering meaningful professional connections while maintaining flexibility and accessibility.
Solution: Gathering on Gatherly
To tackle these challenges, CCNM partnered with Gatherly, a cutting-edge virtual event platform designed to create lifelike, interactive experiences. With its innovative use of virtual spaces, Gatherly allowed attendees to engage with exhibitors, employers, and peers in a more immersive, dynamic way. The platform’s unique ability to simulate real-world interactions through video chats and the ability to “move” between booths, tables, and spaces allowed participants to make the most of every conversation.
Gatherly’s video-based networking feature ensured that connections were not just transactional but relational. This gave attendees the opportunity to interact one-on-one or in small groups, mimicking the natural flow of an in-person career fair while also overcoming the limitations of a physical space.
Execution
Leading up to the event, CCNM set up the virtual venue on Gatherly, creating distinct zones for networking, employer booths, informational sessions, and breakout discussions. The exhibitors, including major employers and institutions from the naturopathic and allopathic sectors, were given virtual booths to display their materials, engage in real-time Q&A sessions, and even schedule one-on-one meetings with prospective candidates. Attendees could easily navigate through these booths by clicking on virtual spaces, just like walking through a physical venue, making the event feel as close to reality as possible.
The event was meticulously planned, with time slots for employer sessions, keynote speakers, and industry discussions. By providing clear schedules and intuitive navigation, CCNM ensured that both participants and exhibitors had a seamless experience. Moreover, the event was fully accessible, allowing attendees to engage regardless of location.
Results
The CCNM 2024 Career Expo was a resounding success, with participants praising the dynamic, life-like interactions facilitated by Gatherly. Attendees reported that they felt more engaged and better connected with employers than they had at previous career fairs. Many participants noted the value of the “face-to-face” feeling of the interactions, which helped them build rapport and create lasting professional relationships.
Employers, too, were impressed by the quality of the candidates they met and the ease with which they could engage with potential hires. The ability to move between different virtual spaces and host interactive sessions allowed employers to not only share information but also gauge candidate interest and suitability in real-time.
Key takeaways from the event included:
● Engagement: Over 90% of attendees reported feeling more connected with potential employers compared to previous in-person or traditional virtual events.
● Accessibility: The hybrid approach enabled a more diverse range of participants to attend, with the event accommodating both local and international attendees.
● Increased Interaction: Employers were able to host more meaningful interactions with potential candidates, moving beyond resumes and diving into personalized conversations.
Conclusion
The success of the CCNM 2024 Career Expo underscores the power of innovative platforms like Gatherly in transforming traditional events. By leveraging Gatherly’s virtual spaces and dynamic features, CCNM was able to provide an environment that fostered deeper connections, greater engagement, and a more personalized career fair experience. The event not only achieved its goal of promoting naturopathic medicine but also set a new standard for virtual career fairs moving forward.
As CCNM continues to advance its mission of providing excellent education, fostering research, and delivering high-quality patient care, they are now better equipped to leverage technology to connect the next generation of healthcare professionals with the opportunities they need to succeed.