HTAV Conference 2020: Pearson navigates the new world of virtual conferences

On October 15 and 16 2020, the Pearson Victoria Sales Team attended their very first History Teachers’ Association of Victoria (HTAV) virtual conference. We enjoyed meeting teachers from schools in both Victoria and Tasmania and would like to thank all those who attended for enthusiastically engaging at the Pearson virtual booth and the HTAV team for providing the opportunity for us to connect.

Pearson Primary and Secondary Humanities and Newsela were on display and were well received by those who made excellent use of the virtual booth. Click to learn more about these resources or to book your own virtual demonstration.

Congratulations to Pearson Australia HTAV prize winners

As part of the conference, Pearson was delighted to offer exciting prizes to two lucky conference attendees. Congratulations, we hope you are enjoying your winnings!

• Prize 1: One copy each of Pearson Humanities 7, 8, 9 and 10 Student Books with eBook and Lightbook Starter. Plus, a $50 Uber Eats voucher. Valued at $341.80.
• Prize 2: A select pack of recent History titles from Penguin Random House including World History and Vida, a woman for our time. Plus, a $50 Uber Eats voucher. Valued at $125.00.

Top three tips for teachers attending virtual conferences

As we continue to navigate uncertain times, virtual conferences are likely to become a more common occurrence. To help you maximise your experience at future virtual conferences we wanted to share what we’ve learned from our first virtual conference with you.

1. Attend

Attendance at virtual events can be lower, as it is easier to not show up. Many attendees find virtual events as valuable as physical events and sometimes even more so because of the travel time saved. If you can’t join a virtual event live, try reaching out to the event organisers as you may still be able to access session recordings and ‘attend’ in your own time.

2. Go to every booth and ask questions

A virtual event can be even easier to navigate than a physical event. We recommend trying to get to every booth. Virtual event formats can also provide better opportunities to ask questions and benefit from questions asked by other attendees. Plus, some demonstrators at virtual events offer prizes or special offers just as they would at in-person events. Try your luck while you’re engaging with the booth demonstrators.

3. Network

Many virtual conferences facilitate networking. We recommend talking to fellow teachers and trying to meet new people during the event. Keep an eye on the virtual event chat to be part of any interesting discussions within the conference network.