Social Program

When we go to a conference, one of the most important objectives is to talk to people and establish links. We talk about work, mainly during the breaks between the sessions. We also talk informally to know people and establish friendship links.

Another nice part of a conference is to visit a city and maybe learn a little bit about its people, food, history and tourist attractions.

Can we do these things in a virtual conference? Yes. We have prepared social events and planned an interactive space for breaks so that we can.

Access the social events through the Lounge button in the main menu, giving access to a space under the gather.town environment.

Welcome, Ice‐Breaking events, Breaks and Poster Session

You may go to the lounge in the virtual platform and access an open space for interacting with people, visiting the exhibitors and chatting with the authors in the Poster Session.

Tuesday 8th, 17:15: Bring your own regional food

The theme of this social event is regional food. The purpose of the theme is to serve as a motive for people to start talking. From there, the conversation can informally extend to any subject, except work :)

We ask you to come to the event with a minimal preparation. Maybe just a picture of some regional food that you like, or a recipe, even some actual cake or cooked dish, could be nice.

The meeting space will be divided into tables and, since the conference was originally planned to be in Spain, different tables will represent different cities in this country, where participants from that place will offer explanations about their regional food. Of course, we invite everybody to approach any table and bring their own regional food, with the aim of having cosmopolitan tables where we can share international experiences.

Wednesday 9th, 17:15: Regional festivals and celebrations

The theme of this social event is regional festivals and celebrations. As the day before, the purpose of the theme is to serve as a motive for people to start talking. From there, the conversation can informally extend to any subject, except work :)

We ask you to come to the event with a minimal preparation. Maybe just a few pictures of a traditional festival or celebration in your area.

The meeting space will be divided into tables and, since the conference was originally planned to be in Spain, the tables will be tagged with the names of different cities or regions in this country, where participants from that place will offer explanations about their traditional festivals or celebrations. Of course, we invite everybody to approach any table and bring information about their own festivals, with the aim of having cosmopolitan tables where we can share international experiences.

Thursday 10th, 17:15: Closing Party

This is our farewell event and we will celebrate what we hope has been a successful conference and say goodbye to our colleagues. As in any party, we will drink and talk. In this case, you will have to bring your preferred drink. However, talking can be as stimulating as in an in‐person event. At the end, we will wish you a good year until the celebration of the next conference, planned in Ghent, Belgium.