AMCHP is excited to host our second hybrid conference and welcome virtual attendees from across the U.S. and all nine U.S.-affiliated jurisdictions! We’re confident that virtual attendees will have a meaningful conference experience, get to network with other virtual attendees, engage with content and presenters during live sessions, and leave the conference feeling energized with new ideas and connections. The Virtual Conference Experience Subcommittee has made some improvements based on feedback from 2023 AMCHP Conference virtual attendees and wanted to share what you can expect from your 2024 virtual conference experience.

What will virtual attendees have access to before the conference?

• A dedicated webpage where we will post specific updates and resources for virtual attendees.
• A pre-conference webinar for virtual attendees will be offered twice: on Wednesday, March 27, from 3-4 PM ET and on Thursday, April 4, from 1-2 PM ET. The webinar will be recorded and walk you through how you can engage in different sessions and smoothly navigate the conference platform. At the end of both webinars, there will be dedicated time for live Q&A with assigned AMCHP and conference staff. You will receive instructions on how to register for either webinar after completing your virtual registration.
• A virtual attendee conference schedule that makes it clear what sessions virtual attendees can attend live.
• Just like in 2023, AMCHP will create several tailored virtual attendee resources with all the conference information you need to know in one place (e.g., what you can do on the conference platform, how to join and engage in the plenary sessions, live-stream workshops, and virtual workshops). These will be posted on the virtual attendee webpage and emailed to all virtual attendees.
• We know how challenging it can be to feel like you cannot fully attend a virtual conference without needing to respond to emails or continue to work on your job. The Virtual Conference Experience Subcommittee is creating an investment letter you can share with your supervisor that reiterates the importance of attending the virtual 2024 AMCHP Conference and that you will be treated as if you were attending it in person. The letter will be posted on the virtual attendee webpage and emailed to all virtual attendees.
• Email updates as more resources are created and uploaded for virtual attendees.
• A virtual “Before You Go” email to ensure you have all the necessary information for a streamlined conference experience.

What will virtual attendees have access to during the conference?

• More sessions for you to attend! At the 2024 AMCHP Conference, five (5) blocks of virtual-only workshops will be offered from Sunday through Tuesday (in 2023, virtual workshops were only offered on Tuesday). This will allow you more choices in the sessions you attend since you will have several concurrent virtual workshops to choose from in each block of virtual-only workshops. There are also seven (7) blocks of in-person workshops; in each, one workshop will be livestreamed for virtual attendees.
• We heard from 2023 AMCHP Conference virtual attendees that they would like more diversity in the workshops that are selected for live streaming. The Virtual Conference Experience subcommittee intentionally selected the live-streamed workshops to reflect more diversity in the conference track, presenter affiliation, and MCH population domain.
• Watch all three live-streamed plenaries, participate in the discussion chat with other participants, and ask questions of plenary speakers via the conference platform.
• More flexibility with how you attend sessions! You can join sessions from a laptop/desktop or via the conference app this year. You will always need to be logged in to stream sessions.
• Access more than 70 posters on the conference platform.
• A virtual networking event on Friday, April 12, from 11-11:45 AM PT/2-2:45 PM ET to connect with other virtual participants and explore ways to enhance your AMCHP 2024 virtual conference experience.
• Dedicated AMCHP staff who will support your virtual conference experience.
• Daily communication during the AMCHP Conference about what is scheduled for each day, any important announcements, and well as contact information for virtual support staff at AMCHP and Conference Managers.
• Virtual participants will have access to view any documents (e.g., slides, handouts, etc.) that presenters upload, including in-person sessions. This access will last for six (6) months after the 2024 AMCHP Conference.
• All in-person workshop presenters are being actively encouraged to upload a practice recording of their sessions as well as session materials and resources before the conference so that more attendees can access these during and after the conference.
• Digital accessibility: There will be live captioning of the three plenary sessions and automatic captioning of live-streamed workshops and virtual-only workshops. If you have any accessibility accommodations, please email the AMCHP Registration team at amchpreg@conferencemanagers.com, and we will do our best to accommodate these.

Why attend the AMCHP Conference virtually?

We know how busy public health professionals are and that not everyone feels ready to attend in-person conferences or has the resources to do so. The virtual AMCHP Conference experience has a lot of advantages, including:

• Cost savings: No travel, accommodation, or meal expenses, plus a discounted virtual registration rate compared to in-person registration.
• Convenience: No need to worry about commuting or taking time off of work.
• Flexibility: Attend sessions at your own pace and fit them around your other personal and professional commitments; you’ll have access to plenty of on-demand content after the conference, too!
• Reduce environmental impact: Reduce your carbon footprint by avoiding travel-related emissions and the use of printed materials.

If you have any questions or suggestions for how we can improve your virtual conference experience, please email Candice Simon (csimon@amchp.org) and the speaker department (amchpspeakers@conferencemanagers.com).