Local innovators, entrepreneurs, and like-minded individuals will have more accessibility to this years’ Forward Festival as it embraces a hybrid model. The 11th annual event will take place Aug. 13–20 and will feature nearly 40 events, with a majority being virtual.
“The Forward Festival has always prided itself on being an inclusive conference for a wide variety of people, and this year is no different,” Hilary Stohs-Krause, festival board member and co-owner of Ten Forward Consulting, says. “As many events will be virtual, this gives great accessibility to people wanting to take part in Madison’s growing innovative and entrepreneurial community.”
In fact, the primarily digital format is one of the biggest things organizers are excited about this year because it’s enabling increased access for attendees, in particular first-timers. “It can be intimidating to attend a new event, not just from a social standpoint, but a practical one — transportation, child care, etc. — and a lot of that uncertainty is removed when you can participate from the comfort of your own home,” explains Stohs-Krause. “The same is true for event organizers, meaning we have folks stepping up to organize Forward Fest events for the first time, which is awesome.
“This is also a great way for Forward Fest to showcase the innovation happening here in Madison and Wisconsin to a much larger audience; we have both speakers and attendees from all over the country — and some international attendees, too!”
Given the virtual nature of this year’s Forward Festival, event organizers prioritized the creation of the first-ever Forward Fest mobile app. Now, everything necessary to fully engage with the festival is available on a smart phone, including a full calendar of events, links to join each event digitally, and dedicated space for networking with other attendees. The free app is available on both iOS and Android devices to all Forward Pass holders.
With its focus on innovation, Forward Festival is perhaps one event most suited to pivoting to a largely virtual format. The spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship [has been] one of the common themes throughout Forward Festival from the very beginning, notes Stohs-Krause. The COVID-19 pandemic just forced event organizers to adapt and come together to put on a conference to fit anybody’s needs.
Indeed, COVID-19 was already sweeping the world when Forward Festival organizers began planning in earnest in early spring, and so it was a consideration from the beginning. Even in a “normal” year, a key feature of Forward Fest is flexibility and accessibility: events are held throughout Dane County, at different times of the day or evening, on both weekdays and the weekend, and with free and paid registration.
“Early on, we decided the best way to maintain that flexibility in the face of all the uncertainty was to trust our individual event hosts to organize their events as they saw fit, with guidance and support from the Forward Fest Board, and according to city, state, and federal guidelines,” says Stohs-Krause. “We added resources on hosting virtual events to our website and held multiple online meetings with organizers where they could ask questions and share tips and advice. Almost 40 individual events are already confirmed for this year’s festival, and the vast majority will be held digitally.”
This year’s festival will certainly be different, but Stohs-Krause also sees it as an opportunity to innovate and try new things. Some events have been scaled down, while others have expanded; access to attend Forward Fest events is easier than ever because for the most part, all you need is an internet connection, she explains. That means the event will feature a wider range of voices and experiences, leading to a more collaborative, insightful, and exciting festival for everyone.
“Safety is our number-one priority,” adds Stohs-Krause. “If an event is held in person, it will be compliant with guidelines from Forward Dane and Public Health Madison. Given that 95% of our current confirmed events will be online, it’s clear that the Forward Fest community shares our focus on keeping attendees safe and healthy, while continuing to provide inspiring, illuminating content to help us all grow and learn.”
To make sure the eight-day conference is accessible to as many members of the community as possible, registration for a Forward Pass is free. However, there are a few events that require a paid ticket or accept donations (e.g., Pressure Chamber, Play Make Learn 2020 Conference, and Social Good Summit (SGS): Profiles).
The festival will still have some of its annual events such as the Badger Startup Summit on Aug. 13 and the Startup Showcase on Aug. 18, as well as crowd-favorite returning events like Doyenne’s 5x5x5 pitch event for women entrepreneurs, and “Pressure Chamber,” a startup pitch contest now in its seventh year.
“Additionally, we have a slew of new events tailored to the current challenges and opportunities we’re all facing,” says Stohs-Krause. These include a presentation on how the University of Wisconsin Data Science Institute is analyzing COVID-19 data; a panel of entrepreneurs and educators sharing tips and tricks to increase retention with online learning; and an event from Madison College’s Center for Entrepreneurship on the practicalities and emotional impact of working from home with kids.
Meanwhile, topics tools to restart your business and travel in these times have also been added to the slate of presentations.
Community is also increasingly important these days, notes Stohs-Krause. The Social Good Accelerator, whose Social Good Summit (SGS) is a longtime staple of the festival, is switching up its traditional format this year to highlight founding members as they lead the way through COVID-19 response and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Planning in a pandemic
Stohs-Krause explains that even a decade of planning couldn’t completely prepare Forward Festival organizers for the challenge of hosting a weeklong event during a global pandemic. However, she shares some lessons learned from putting together the event even while COVID-19 rages on.
“Guidelines can change quickly and everyone has to be adaptable,” notes Stohs-Krause. “Additionally, assumptions about access are different now; before, event hosts might have considered things like, ‘Is there ample parking at my venue? If I’m serving food, can I accommodate different dietary needs?’ With primarily digital events, those considerations are different but still present. Now, questions are more along the lines of, ‘What steps can I take to ensure the security of my presentation platform or address accessibility concerns? How can I work to foster engagement when attendees are all remote?’
“Lots of folks are in similar positions, and there’s a ton of great information and advice available to help guide event planners in this new normal,” she adds. “Taking the time up front to explore options before making a decision — and then being prepared to pivot as things change — will save time and stress in the long run.”
For a detailed listing of events taking place during the Forward Festival, visit www.forwardfest.org.
Click here to sign up for the free IB Ezine — your twice-weekly resource for local business news, analysis, voices, and the names you need to know. If you are not already a subscriber to In Business magazine, be sure to sign up for our monthly print edition here.
