From the judges: Very impressive shift that could have easily been written off as a "skip" for 2020. The most notable result of this effort is the coordination of nearly 50 different state chiropractic boards to accept online CED credits--a first. They successfully retained sponsors, grew registration, and raised more money from this pivot.
Homecoming Program and Seminars: Pivot!
Category
Special Events > Special Event Pivot
Description
Silver
Institution: Sherman College of Chiropractic
Title of entry: Homecoming Program and Seminars: Pivot!
About this entry: With the outbreak of COVID-19, it didn’t take long for large gatherings like Lyceum, Sherman College’s annual homecoming and continuing education event, to be dismantled in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. After exploring its options, the college decided to move forward with hosting Lyceum virtually so that chiropractors who needed the hours for state relicensure could earn them.
After extensive research on the best platforms and processes for hosting virtual events, the college quickly took action to host its very first virtual Lyceum so that its 700 attendees would still be able to receive the continuing education hours they needed to expand their chiropractic knowledge and meet relicensure requirements. Once the college started the process, it had 15 days to prepare for what usually takes six weeks.
In the chiropractic industry, no one had ever hosted a concurrent speaker virtual event for credit before. With the help of speakers, state chiropractic boards, and sponsors, the college was able to face the last-minute challenge head-on and make this historic event a massive success. Cancelling the event would have meant $60,000 in lost revenue, but by pivoting to an online event, the college brought in an additional $23,000 instead. This made Lyceum 2020 the highest revenue-generating event in more than 20 years.
As online learning drives continuing education forward, Sherman College foresees a valuable niche for virtual and hybrid events. Sherman is ready to be there for the profession in whatever ways it needs.