The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. Charity registered in Scotland SC003558. Registered office Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh EH3 6BB.
Gathering Extra: What you need to know
What
The Gathering is the biggest voluntary sector event in the UK. Over two days SCVO hosts 2000+ people with a programme of energising events and a bustling exhibition.
It’s a chance to catch up with people, make new connections and hear about the latest thinking and action driving Scottish society forwards.
New for 2023 is the Gathering Extra – an opportunity to catch up on the bits you missed from the comfort of your own home.
Why
In 2022 we heard that although people enjoyed the chance to get together in person, it didn’t suit everyone.
Since Covid, and for lots of different reasons, more people want to engage with events online as well as in person and we want to help them do that.
How
Working out how to make the Gathering accessible to an online audience has been a head-scratcher. The scale of the event means we can’t offer a high-quality hybrid experience for every session– there are over 70 event sessions, with nine running concurrently at any one time.
We’ve consulted with organisations across the sector that have approached hybrid and online events in different ways. We have consistently heard that making a hybrid event work well requires smaller audience sizes and a simpler programme.
We have worked with online event experts Everywhere+ to think through the options, and decided to offer an in-person experience, and a separate online experience- the Gathering Extra. The plan is to record a range of sessions from across the two days and edit them so they work well for an online audience, whose needs are different to people who attend in person.
Rather than just adding the sessions to SCVO’s Youtube channel, they’ll be hosted on the Everywhere+ platform and you’ll be able to join us on 29th November for a full day,real-timeonline event. We will have real-time event hosts and special guesZoomto bring the recorded content to life. It will feel like the Gathering, with branding and energy, but you won’t be expected to have awkward Zoom breakout room conversations. Throughout the event, you’ll be able to share your thoughts and comments in real-time through a chatbar, which will be monitored by our SCVO hosts.
If you can’t make the online event on November 29th, it will be available for a further 30 days on Everywhere+, and because it’s the Gathering it is 100% free for all delegates.
Who
The Gathering Extra is for everyone working in or with the Scottish voluntary sector. You might decide to join because the in-person event doesn’t work for you, or you might be with us on the 7th/8th November in-person, then catch up online with an event that you missed.
We’ve looked closely at the programme to choose the events which will be part of the Gathering Extra.
We have selected topics that tend to draw a big crowd and have relevance across the sector. We’ve also looked for sessions that are being delivered primarily as an input from a stage - the more interactive round-table sessions can’t be recorded as easily.
When
The Gathering Extra is coming to a screen near you on November 29th. This is a test year for us, and we’d love to hear your feedback on what we have planned.
Learn more about the Gathering and the Gathering Extra.
FAQs
- Does it cost money to join?
No, all delegates are welcome at the Gathering and Gathering extra. No charge, just register here so we know you’re joining us.
- How do I register?
When registration opens later in September, you’ll register on our website. For the in-person event, you have the option to choose the individual sessions you want to attend, or you can come for the exhibition only. For the Gathering Extra, you book for the whole day and you can dip in and out as your please. Which sessions are being recorded?
We have selected some of the most popular sessions from the Gathering programme which we know will work well in an online setting. This is a pilot year, and we’d love your feedback on whether this is the right approach, or if there are other sessions you would like to join online.
- Will I get to network with other people?
There will be interaction during Gathering Extra using the chatbar. We won’t be asking people to join breakout rooms and chat on video.
- Is there new content at Gathering Extra I can’t get at the in person event
We will have some special guests giving their reflections on the sessions at the Gathering Extra, but the core content will be the same as the in-person event.
- Can I go to the in-person and online event?
We would love to see you at both. You can dip in and out of the Gathering Extra at a time that suits you so you can catch up on sessions you didn’t make it to during the in person event.
