Every industry has been impacted by the global pandemic, but these past several months have really inspired the events industry to explore new ways to deliver educational content while also allowing attendees to interact virtually. RSA Conference has pivoted to virtual, and we’ve learned through our own experience, and the experiences of our partners and industry associations, how best to navigate the waters of this new world.

One of our partners, the Executive Women’s Forum (EWF), an industry association that supports women, is excited to host its virtual event October 20-22, 2020. In anticipation of this year’s event focused on enhancing business, resilience and trust, we sat down with Joyce Brocaglia, RSAC Advisory Board member, Founder of EWF and CEO of Atlas Associates, for a sneak peek into what attendees can expect this year.

Q. What can you tell me about the 2020 EWF Conference?

A. “This year’s conference is going to be remarkable,” Brocaglia said. “The decision to host an event virtually is only the first step, and it’s one EWF made very early on, which gave them time to do their due diligence before selecting a platform. Our virtual environment provider, Socio, also offers a mobile app that will allow women globally to connect and get to know each other.”

“The EWF Conference is renowned for gathering together the most talented women in cybersecurity, tech and privacy, and hosting the event virtually will allow us to double the number of attendees,” Brocaglia said.

Q. How have the challenges of 2020 informed your planning for this year’s conference?

A. “The theme of our conference is Enhancing Business, Resilience & Trust. Who could’ve imagined in January that these two qualities would be so essential to our survival? Our resilience has shown in that we never considered canceling. It shows how very important our members are to us,” said Brocaglia.

Q. What has the response been from your members?

A. “We’ve had such an overwhelming response that not only do we have three separate tracks but we are also providing on-demand talks. There are only so many slots in a day, so we’ve decided to make content available on-demand as well, which gives more women the opportunity to participate, much like RSAC is doing with its RSAC 365 year-round learning initiative and its virtual events.”

Q. In addition to the increased session offerings, what networking opportunities will be available?

A. “We’ve decided to break out our Women of Influence Award and make it a large production. We’ll be honoring women in five different categories and hosting a virtual panel with the recipients on October 19. Anyone (both men and women) can register for free to attend,” Brocaglia said.

“We are known to work hard during the day and have fun at night. We’re staying true to that virtually as well. Women will have different ways to connect in networking breakout rooms and at the EWF Theme Party. We’ll have dueling pianos, Online Cyber Escape Rooms, an AWS Jam Lounge and a DJ party. There will be lots going on that’s fun. It’s going to be high-energy, well produced, well thought out, and as close to in person as you can possibly get,” said Brocaglia.