Virtual Participation at ICAAP11

Virtual Participation at the International Conference on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific This document contains a detailed account of the Virtual Participation Program, which facilitated the remote attendance of young people at the International Conference on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific 2013 (ICAAP11), using Google Hangout. Based on the effective execution of Virtual Participation at ICAAP11, this account further endeavors to provide the reader with a useful foundation to consider replicating the program’s success at other international conferences so as to promote the meaningful participation of youth advocates at international fora. This Program was conceptualized, managed and implemented under the auspice of the Community Programme Committee and the Asia-Pacific Village and was supported by the following organizational entities: International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Youth LEAD, Youth Voices Count, UNAIDS Regional Support Team Asia and the Pacific (RSTAP), UNESCO and UNFPA on behalf of the Asia Pacific Inter-Agency Task Team on Young Key Populations.

1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Young People and particularly Young Key Populations (YKP) including young men who have sex with men, young women, young transgender people, young people who use drugs, young sex workers and young people living with HIV, have been underrepresented at international conferences on HIV/AIDS. To maximize the positive contributions of young people at these international fora and to further promote an inclusive HIV response, a Virtual Participation Program was introduced as a cost-effective alternative to facilitate the remote attendance of 200 young people across 6 countries at the International Conference on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific 2013 (ICAAP11). At ICAAP11, Virtual Participation meant the remote, online participation of young people from across the Asia-Pacific region during select key events at the Conference. Based on the Google+ Hangout Technology, this initiative enabled 200 participants across 6 countries to participate live at the otherwise inaccessible ICAAP11. The initiative successfully overcame legal and administrative barriers that hinder young people in attending international fora like the ICAAP. Virtual Participation further maximized the investment of supporting donors, by minimizing per-capita cost whilst promoting a more inclusive representation of YKPs including in and out-of-school, rural and urban-based, employed and unemployed youth, who did not qualify for the limited scholarships that were made available to young participants. Given its innovative nature, it was the Program’s intention to pursue a conservative planning regime and maximize its success by reducing the margin for error. As such, Virtual Participation at ICAAP11 was limited to pre-selected country groups from Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Pakistan, and Viet Nam. Each group comprised an average of 20 young people who were invited to join the program from a pre-determined location such as the corresponding UNAIDS country offices. Each young person was identified by one of the two Youth Networks, that were part of the Ad-Hoc Working Group on Virtual Participation: YouthLEAD and YVC. Given the positive feedback received from the participants, it is prudent to analyze the Program’s implementation and identify potential improvements so that future conferences can extrapolate on its initial success for the benefit of including wider audiences across the globe. This document therefore endeavors to outline concrete recommendations to fully realize the potential of Virtual Participation by: • Including a wider audience of country participants at little to zero additional cost. • Minimizing investment-per-capita by leveraging Google Hangout’s free Broadcasting service. • More effective sponsorship support based on digital audience engagement pre and post

Virtual Participation. • Expanding the geographical footprint of facilitating Virtual Participation by refining the

technological set-up to guarantee stable and fast internet connectivity on a global scale. • A deeper integration of Virtual Participation into conference programs.

REPORT VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION ICAAP11

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Table of Contents

VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AIDS IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC 1

1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1

2 VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION AT ICAAP – HOW IT WORKED 3

2.1 SET-UP IN BANGKOK 3 2.2 VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION SET-UP IN UNAIDS COUNTRY OFFICE 4 2.3 SESSION SCHEDULE 4 2.4 PREPARATION WITH COUNTRY TEAMS 5 2.5 DURING THE SESSIONS 5 2.6 PRINCIPLES GOVERNING VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION 6

3 ORGANIZATION 6

3.1 WORKING STRUCTURE 7 3.1.1 YOUNG PEOPLE (YOUTHLEAD AND YVC) 7 3.1.2 FUNDING COORDINATION & SUPPORT (UNAIDS) 7 3.1.3 TECHNOLOGY LEAD, TRAINING, EXECUTION & SESSION OPERATOR (UNFPA) 8 3.1.4 PARTICIPANTS (VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS) 8 3.1.5 ICAAP LIAISON (INTERNATIONAL AIDS ALLIANCE) 8

4 BUDGETARY COMMITMENTS & INVESTMENT PER CAPITA 8

5 EVALUATION & RECOMMENDATION 8

5.1 RECOMMENDATIONS OVERVIEW 9 5.2 EXPAND VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION TO A WIDER AUDIENE AT LITTLE TO ZERO ADDITIONAL COST 10 5.2.1 [R1] ADD VPN SUPPORT TO ENHANCE VIDEO QUALITY WHILST REDUCING BANDWIDTH 10 5.2.2 [R2] EXPAND VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION TO YOUNG PEOPLE FROM MORE COUNTRY GROUPS 11 5.3 LEVERAGE GOOGLE HANGOUT’S FREE BROADCASTING SERVICE FOR VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION 12 5.3.1 [R3] PERMIT PARTICIPANTS TO ATTEND FROM THE COMFORT OF THEIR HOME 12 5.3.2 [R4] PROMOTE HANGOUT ON-AIR AS AN ONLINE EVENT 13 5.3.3 [R5] – EXPAND ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES BY INTEGRATING PERIPHERAL TECHNOLOGIES 13 5.4 DEEPER INTEGRATION OF VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION INTO THE DESIGN OF THE CONFERENCE 14 5.4.1 [R6] APPOINT LIAISON TO WORK WITH SESSION FACILITATORS ON DEEPER INTERGATION 15 5.4.2 [R7] FORMALY APPOINT A MEMBER OF THE CONFERENC ORGANIZING COMITTE AS FOCAL POINT 15 5.4.3 [R8] APPOINT DEDICATED PERSON TO GENERATE EFFECTIVE SPONSORSHIP SUPPORT 15


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2 VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION AT ICAAP – HOW IT WORKED The Virtual Participation Program was established to increase participation of the marginalized young people especially the Young Key Populations (YKP) at ICAAP11. This objective was achieved by facilitating the live attendance of 200 young people utilizing Google Hangout, a video-conferencing technology that permitted participants to: • Engage with the information that was presented and discussed at ICAAP11 live. • Be seen and heard by the physical participants, which permitted the virtual participants to

participate actively by asking’s questions, making comments and sharing opinions in a live, two-way dialogue.

Opposed to traditional web-casting solutions, participants not only had the benefit of viewing the conference as it unfolded, but were further able to participate actively through a two-way video and audio stream. The following abstraction endeavors to provide an illustration of Virtual Participation through both the eyes of a physical and a virtual participant at ICAAP11:

2.1 SET-UP IN BANGKOK

At ICAAP11 a VIDEO CAMERA (1) captured the presentation and discussions held on STAGE (2). The image and corresponding audio was subsequently transmitted to the Virtual Participants through a computer with internet connection set up in the back of the room. This computer was administered by the OPERATOR (3). The OPERATOR also received video and audio from the country groups and displayed the country participants on a FLAT SCREEN TV (4) or projector. The TV was placed near or on the stage so that the presenters and THE AUDIENCE (5) could see the virtual participants.

OPERATOR TABLE AT ICAAP11

OPERATOR TABLE DURING SESSION


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2.2 VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION SET-UP IN UNAIDS COUNTRY OFFICE

In return, COUNTRY GROUPS (6) had access to WEBCAMS and MICROPHONES (7) at their designated locations and transmitted their images to the OPERATOR (3) who managed the connection and engagement of Virtual Participants (6) at the conference center in Bangkok. A list of hardware requirements, which provided the technological infrastructure on which basis the Virtual Participation Program was implemented, is provided in APPENDIX A3.

VIRTUAL PARTICIPANTS AT ICAAP11.

2.3 SESSION SCHEDULE On November 20th and November 21st, 3 country groups attended the following 3 plenary, satellite and skills building sessions; these were preselected for Virtual Participation at ICAAP11. Facilitators of these sessions had been made aware of the Virtual Participation Program and were encouraged to engage the virtual participants through questions, comments and other forms of interactive engagement.


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VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION PROGRAM

Day Countries Sessions Time and room

20-‐Nov Philippines Viet Nam India

Plenary 08:30-‐10:00 / Hall A,B,C Self-‐Stigma among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Women and the Linkages with HIV 14:00–15:30/ Hall F

Satellite session: Youth meet with high level leaders 16:15–17:30 / Hall F

21-‐Nov

Indonesia Cambodia Pakistan

Plenary 08:30–10:00 / Hall A,B,C

Risk and Response: Examining the Evidence on Adolescents and Young Key Populations in Asia Pacific 12:15-‐13:10/Hall A

Skills Building Workshop: How we can strengthen advocacy and implementation of sexuality education for young people in Asia Pacific

13:20–16:00 / Hall J

The Ad-Hoc Task Team on Virtual Participation worked closely with YouthLEAD and YVC, two regional youth networks focusing on working with Young Key Populations, to select, invite and arrange the attendance of all Virtual Participants in their respective country groups.

2.4 PREPARATION WITH COUNTRY TEAMS As part of a country group, Virtual Participant were invited to nominated venues located in municipal hubs, one day prior to the scheduled virtual participation sessions at ICAAP11. To ensure a smooth integration of Virtual Participants, a Group Speaker was selected for each Country Group. Led by the Group Speaker, all participants received a briefing regarding the conventions that governed their virtual attendance. They further discussed and strategized their intended input for the following virtual participation sessions. The Group Speaker acted as coordinating body and principal contact for the OPERATOR (3) during and prior to Virtual Participation. The OPERATOR worked with each country’s Group Speaker as follows: • Coordination of connection testing at the country venue one week prior to Virtual Participation. • The operator provided training regarding the Google Hangout Interface, Plug-In Installation,

and usage to the group Speaker, one week prior to ICAAP11 (see corresponding training materials in APPENDIX 1).

• The OPERATOR explained the process of how Virtual Participants were to be integrated into the ICAAP11 sessions to the Group Speaker (see corresponding training materials in APPENDIX A2).

• The Group Speaker was in charge of briefing their country group on the aforementioned process.

• The OPERATOR and GROUP SPEAKER scheduled a last-minute test on the morning of the live Virtual Participation session.

2.5 DURING THE SESSIONS During the Virtual Participation sessions, the OPERATOR worked with the GROUP SPEAKERS, by using the Google Hangout’s text chat facility so as to avoid audible interruptions which physical participants would have been able to hear. This involved: • The OPERATOR liaised with session staff at ICAAP and provided guidance to advise GROUP

SPEAKERS of upcoming opportunities to contribute or ask questions. For example GROUP SPEAKERS would receive a notice such as “Philippines - please stand-by for questions”, if a presenter was about to address the GROUP SPEAKER directly.

• Moderate between presenters and virtual participants if required. • Addressing technical difficulties if they occurred.


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OPERATOR WORKING THROUGH TEXT CHAT WITH GROUP SPEAKER IN CAMBODIA

2.6 PRINCIPLES GOVERNING VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION During presentations, Virtual Participants were held to a select set of rules that governed their engagement during ICAAP11. These principles can be reviewed in the Appendix A2.

3 ORGANIZATION The Virtual Participation Program was established and executed by the following team of organizations and individuals, who each assumed a specialized role in the preparation and execution of the program:

ORGANIZATION INDIVIDUAL TITLE ROLE

UNFPA Mike Nedelko Lead Technical Coordinator & OPERATOR

Conceptualization, and execution of the process, testing, technological feasibility and on-the ground management of Virtual Participation at ICAAP11.

Youth LEAD Thaw Zin Aye YouthLEAD Secretariat

Selection, invitation and coordination of travel arrangements for youth participants in 3 countries.

YVC (Youth Voices Count) Tung Bui VYC Secretariat

Selection, invitation and coordination of travel arrangements for youth participants in 3 countries.

UNAIDS Aries Valeriano Leading Coordinator Leading support coordinator and organizing focal point.

International AIDS Alliance

Jet Riparip Community Programme Committee liaison

Coordination and pitch of Virtual Participation to the Community Program Committee and Thai Organizing Committee.

KENES Hired by the ICAAP organizing Committee to manage ICAAP. KENES provided an interface to integrate the technical specifications of Virtual Participation into the conference venue’s existing ICT infrastructure.

Event Management Company hired to manage ICAAP11.

The Virtual Participation Team worked closely with KENES to ensure that its technological requirements could be seamlessly integrated into the technical infrastructure that was provided by the Queen Sirikit Convention Centre.


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3.1 WORKING STRUCTURE

3.1.1 Young People (YouthLEAD and YVC)

Working towards young people’s virtual participation at ICAAP11 put UNAIDS implementing partner organizations such as YouthLEAD and YVC at the heart of this initiative. YouthLEAD is a regional network of Young Key Affected Populations and works for young people aged 14 to 25, who are either directly affected by HIV or at high risk of HIV infection. Through their network, Youth LEAD advocates for their rights and equal access to Health and Medical Services, to make sure that every Young Person at High Risk of HIV exposure has access to those services, feels confident to do so and is unafraid to use them. YVC, or Youth Voices Count, is a network of young MSM & Transgender people in Asia and the Pacific with mission of supporting young MSM and TG communities to address their HIV related health issues via mobilization, advocacy and capacity building. YVC is an initiative led by young men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people in Asia and the Pacific that aims to advocate for meaningful participation of young MSM and transgender people in policy and decision making processes at national and regional level. The role of these organizations focused on coordinating the selection, travel arrangements, expense consolidation and timely attendance of select network members at Virtual Participation for ICAAP11.

3.1.2 Funding Coordination & Support (UNAIDS)

Led by Aries Valeriano, UNAIDS provided the funding and organizational support that made Virtual Participation possible. UNAIDS provided the following support: • Coordinated meetings between all stakeholders. • Worked with the Lead Technical Coordinator to facilitate frequent interfaces with KENES, an

event Management Company that ICAAP’s Organizing Committee worked with to manage ICAAP11.

• Provided financial support to cover both the equipment hire to establish the technological infrastructure required in Bangkok as well as travel expenses incurred by Virtual Participants in-country.

• Provided young people with access to facilities required to facilitate Virtual Participation at the country level.


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3.1.3 Technology Lead, Training, Execution and Session Operator (UNFPA) As the leading Technical Coordinator and Operator, Mike Nedelko (UNFPA) was responsible for the technical conceptualization, execution and event management of Virtual Participation at ICAAP11. This included the following: • Provided strategic direction to the Ad Hoc Team on Virtual Participation including

conceptualization, organization, set-up and management of technical specifications and infrastructure necessary to facilitate a smooth implementation of Virtual Participation.

• Conceptualization of Virtual Participation program. • Worked with KENES to ensure a smooth integration of Virtual Participation at ICAAP whilst

considering technological constraints and requirements. Hired by the ICAAP Organizing Committee, KENES is a professional event management company, which acted as the managing interface between the ICAAP’s Organizing Committee and the Queen Sirikit Convention Centre for the entire ICAAP conference (not only virtual participation).

• Coordinated testing and training of Virtual Participants prior to ICAAP. • Provided on-site management of Virtual Participation during the Virtual Participation Sessions.

3.1.4 Participants Virtual Participants attended in teams of Country Groups, led by a Group Speaker. The Group Speakers were experienced network member appointed by YouthLEAD and YVC. Each Group Speaker received training and relevant documentation during a testing exercise one week prior to their Country Group’s participation dates at ICAAP11. Their responsibilities included: • Working with the OPERATOR to schedule testing. • Obtaining training on the Virtual Participation process and pass it on to the Country Groups. • Organizing translators and venues (if outside UNAIDS country office).

3.1.5 ICAAP Liaison (INTERNATIONAL AIDS ALLIANCE) Jet Riparip acted as key liaison with ICAAP’s Organizing Committee; she pitched and secured support for the Virtual Participation initiative by gaining approval from ICAAP’s coordinating entities.

4 BUDGETARY COMMITMENTS & INVESTMENT PER CAPITA With a total budget of USD $20,000, the per-capita investment averaged over 200 young people averaged $100 per person. Although virtual participants did not participate at all sessions during the entire conference, a comparison with the cost incurred for a physical participant, still reveals a significant cost saving and corresponding efficiency inherent in the Virtual Participation Program.

5 EVALUATION & RECOMMENDATION The Virtual Participation Program was successful and very received. In the wake of Virtual Participation at ICAAP, participants shared the following feedback with the Ad Hoc Task Team:

CAMBODIA “Dear Virtual Participation Team, Thanks very much for your working hard in the ICAAP Virtual Participation Meeting. It was really really useful for young key affected people from the grass-roots level to participate in this big event even online participation. It was really great contributions from Cambodian Team.


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I do hope that there will be another events like this to ensure that number of YKAP are increase to get involved. Again, I would like to thank to Youth LEAD (Thaw and Gaj), UNFPA Regional (Mike), UNAIDS Regional (Aries), UNAIDS Country, National AIDS Authority (NAA) who provided the technical and financial support in order to drive the process as smoothly.”

- Phorng ChanthornMARPs Coordinator & Assistant to Secretary General National AIDS

Authority (NAA)

PHILIPPINES “Dear Virtual Participation Team Thank you so much for your patience and support yesterday. Indeed, it was a great opportunity to learn and be part of the 11th ICAAP. All the best”

- Anzaira, Junelyn, Winston, Jay, Reign and Jeff Philippine Team

INDONESIA

“We would like to say thanks For the Opportunity to be part Of ICAAP11 Toward Virtual Meeting Participation. We were Exited with the Virtual Meeting and Recommendation of ICAAP11. It been New Process to engage Young People including Young key Affected Population to more Understanding their issues.”

While their positive feedback implies a satisfactory completion of the Virtual Participation Program a prudent evaluation of the initiative provides the foundation to further improve the depth, scope and reach for the benefit of virtual participation at international conferences around the world. This document therefore endeavors to outline concrete recommendations to fully realize the potential of Virtual Participation by: • Including a wider audience of country participants at little to zero additional cost. Whilst

expanding the geographical footprint of Virtual Participation by refining the technological set-up to guarantee stable and fast Internet connectivity on a global scale is required.

• Minimizing investment-per-capita by leveraging Google Hangout’s free Broadcasting service. • A deeper integration of Virtual Participation into the design of the conference program and

corresponding sessions. • More effective sponsorship support based on digital audience engagement pre and post

Virtual Participation.

5.1 RECOMMENDATIONS OVERVIEW This can be achieved by implementing the following recommendations, which are outlined in more detail below:

RECOMMENDATIONS 5.2 EXPAND VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION TO A WIDER AUDIENCE AT LITTLE TO ZERO ADDITIONAL COST

• More inclusive representation of Young People reflecting a wider geographical footprint. • Reduction of Cost Per-Capita by increasing the number of Virtual Participants. • Inclusion of youth reflecting more diverse backgrounds including in and out-of-school, rural and

urban-based, employed and unemployed youth, who did not qualify for the limited scholarships that were made available to young participants.

[R1] ADD VPN SUPPORT TO ENHANCE VIDEO QUALITY WHILST REDUCING BANDWIDTH REQUIREMENTS • Opens up Virtual Participation to countries featuring a lower ICT Development Index (IDI).

• Country Groups or individuals participating in Virtual Participation only require an average Internet connection with mid-range bandwidth in terms of up and downloading speed.

• Increases connection stability across all Virtual Participants regardless of the signal’s country of origin.

[R2] EXPAND VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION TO YOUNG PEOPLE FROM MORE COUNTRY GROUPS AND BACKGROUNDS • Inclusion of youth reflecting more diverse backgrounds including in and out-of-school, rural and


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urban-based, employed and unemployed youth, who did not qualify for the limited scholarships that were made available to young participants.

• Using existing facilities, expanding to a wider number of Country Groups will further reduce the cost incurred for each Virtual Participant (cost-per-capita), which increases donor efficiency.

5.3 LEVERAGE GOOGLE HANGOUT’S FREE BROADCASTING SERVICE FOR VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION TO FURTHER MINIMIZE COST-PER-CAPITA BY ENGAGING A GLOBAL AUDIENCE. [R3] PERMIT PARTICIPANTS TO ATTEND FROM THE COMFORT OF THEIR HOME • Broadcasting the Virtual Participation sessions not only provides an opportunity in terms of involving

a wider range of virtual participants around the world, but can further act as a conduit to inspire awareness and new HIV advocacy.

[R4] PROMOTE HANGOUT ON-AIR AS AN ONLINE EVENT • Promoting international conferences through Google Hangout ON AIR presents a cheap and

accessible tool to actively engage with a larger target audience by using the content presented at the conference as engagement materials through large-scale double dipping.

[R5] EXPAND ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES BY INTEGRATING PERIPHERAL TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS TWITTER, LANDING PAGES AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE • Deeper engagement opportunities for Virtual Participants at conference sessions.

• Enhanced exchange between physical and Virtual Participants. • Enhanced Social Media coverage through word-of-mouth online. • More customizable experience for Country Groups and ON AIR participants. • Additional functionality that benefits physical participants.

[R6] APPOINT SESSION LIAISON TO WORK WITH SESSION FACILITATORS ON DEEPER INTEGRATION OF VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION • A more engaging and meaningful exchange between virtual participants and the presenting subject

expert. • Opportunity for the presenter to increase their profile and clout in the HIV community on a global

level. [R7] FORMALLY APPOINT A MEMBER OF THE CONFERENCE ORGANIZING COMITTEE TO ACT AS A FOCAL POINT FOR VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION • Appointing an advocate who is also a member of the Conference Organizing Committee at a senior

level to secure the lateral integration of Virtual Participation as a crosscutting initiative throughout the planning process of the conference.

5.5 APPOINT A DEDICATED PERSON TO GENERATE EFFECTIVE SPONSORSHIP SUPPORT BASED ON DIGITAL AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT PRE AND POST VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION.

• Actively engaging an audience of young people during an international conference provides corporate partners with responsible branding opportunities.

• Given its technological focus, Virtual Participation particularly lends itself to explore corporate sponsorships as it endeavors to engage a target audience which are well sought after in what corporate marketers call ‘the attention economy”.

5.2 EXPAND VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION TO A WIDER AUDIENE AT LITTLE TO ZERO ADDITIONAL COST

The technological set-up used at ICAAP11 lends itself to extrapolate the Virtual Participation Program to engage a wider audience on a global scale. This can be achieved by implementing the following recommendations:

5.2.1 [R1] ADD VPN SUPPORT TO ENHANCE VIDEO QUALITY WHILST REDUCING BANDWIDTH REQUIREMENTS:

OPPORTUNITY/ ISSUE: A primary concern in facilitating the virtual participation of remote attendees at international conferences regards the technological infrastructure available in their home country. This concern requires attention as Virtual Participation attempts to bring a wider audience of people to the conference that happen to be underrepresented in international events, due to barriers particularly hindering legally, economically and socially marginalized communities.


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These technological barriers are predominately related to the internet-bandwidth that is available to participants in Virtual Participants’ home countries. Countries featuring a lower ICT Development Index (IDI), traditionally charge more for stable and fast internet connectivity, which is required to support video conferencing applications such as Google Hangout. The problem is amplified as the video signal travels across the globe where it is required to share the internet connection’s bandwidth with other internet users, consuming media from downloads, to video streaming etc. As a consequence, the internet connection can slow down significantly resulting in reduced video quality and connection drop-outs. SOLUTION: This problem can be addressed. The barrier to accessing video conferencing services can be significantly lowered by introducing a Virtual Private Network, or VPN. A VPN extends a private network across a public network, such as the Internet. It enables a computer to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if it were directly connected to the private network, while benefiting from the functionality, security and management policies of the private network. This is done by establishing a virtual point-to-point connection through the use of dedicated connections, encryption, or a combination of the two. Utilizing this inexpensive technology, Virtual Participants would not be required to share the bandwidth of the connection with other internet users, as the signal travels along a point-to-point connection that was purely established for this purpose. VPN services are publicly available in exchange for a small fee averaging $10 dollars for 1 month. BENEFITS: Utilizing VPN results in the following benefits: • Country Groups or individuals participating in Virtual Participation only require an average

Internet connection with featuring mid-range bandwidth in terms of up and downloading speed.

• Increases connection stability across all Virtual Participants regardless of the signal’s country of origin.

• This opens up Virtual Participation to countries featuring a lower ICT Development Index (IDI).

5.2.2 [R2] EXPAND VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION TO YOUNG PEOPLE FROM MORE COUNTRY GROUPS AND BACKGROUNDS

OPPORTUNITY: To further enhance the representation of marginalized communities across the globe it is recommended to increase the number of country groups. SOLUTION: Using the proposed Google Hangout technology to increase the number of country groups simultaneously attending Virtual Participation to a maximum of 11. This increase is accommodated for by the Google Hangout technology. To accommodate for this increase, a robust ICT infrastructure would be required to facilitate a stable connection, which forms the basis of virtual attendance at country level. To secure this, UN implementing partners including UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF or UNESCO could be approached to provide the required infrastructure in form of office space and video conferencing facilities. The latter being available in most contemporary office spaces, utilizing existing facilities and expanding the geographical reach of virtual participation will further reduce the cost-per capita whilst incurring minimal cost to both the UN partners and corresponding donor organizations. BENEFITS: Expanding the number of Country Groups attending Virtual Participation has the following benefits:


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• Inclusion of youth reflecting more diverse backgrounds including in and out-of-school, rural

and urban-based, employed and unemployed youth, who did not qualify for the limited scholarships that were made available to young participants.

• Using existing facilities, expanding to a wider number of Country Groups will further reduce the cost incurred for each Virtual Participant (cost-per-capita), which increases donor efficiency.

5.3 LEVERAGE GOOGLE HANGOUT’S FREE BROADCASTING SERVICE FOR VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION TO FURTHER MINIMIZE COST-PER-CAPITA BY ENGAGING A GLOBAL AUDIENCE.

The Google Hangout Video conferencing system currently features a facility called “Hangout ON AIR” by which the moderator of a video conferencing session can make the session available for the public. This means that anyone with internet access can: • See and listen to the Virtual Participation discussions live. • Participate by submitting questions in writing (please note that this would be different to the

country Groups who can submit questions through speaking). • Comment and Tweet about the session. • And invite friends to participate in the session as well. “Hangout ON AIR” is a free service and has been used by a wide range of organizations including concerts, environmental conservation projects, radio stations as well as the the White House in Obama’s 2012 elections. Here is a short video to illustrate the tool’s broadcasting capabilities:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3pmSWh2BQco

5.3.1 [R3] PERMIT PARTICIPANTS TO ATTEND FROM THE COMFORT OF THEIR HOME ISSUES/OPPORTUNITIES: Issues surrounding HIV including gender, sexuality, drug use, sex work and the associated stigmatization and criminalization continue to hinder an open discourse about HIV and AIDS in many regions of the world. While we can safely assume that the physical participants of an international HIV conference have publically established themselves as a contributing member of the HIV movement and are consequently comfortable to talk about HIV and AIDS, whereas a young person who may have only recently discovered an interest in contributing to these discussions may not have access to the resources or support to attend in person. SOLUTION: Taking an active Google Hangout Session “ON AIR” can be achieved through a click of a button.


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BENEFITS: § Broadcasting the Virtual Participation sessions not only provides an opportunity in terms of

involving a wider range of virtual participants around the world, but can further act as a conduit to inspire awareness and new HIV advocacy.

5.3.2 [R4] PROMOTE HANGOUT ON-AIR AS AN ONLINE EVENT OPPORTUNITY: Hangouts ON AIR have become a popular vehicle for young people to engage with the topics they are interested in. This effect can be observed across the globe as a Google Hangout account is automatically created with any Gmail account a user signs up for. While advocacy groups around the world are struggling to engage young people through expensive awareness campaigns via Social Media, Hangout ON AIR provides such an opportunity at a cheaper cost. As awareness or advocacy campaigns that require engaging content including video, photo or illustrative materials are comparatively expensive to produce, international conferences are places where these materials are featured en mass. Promoting international conferences through Google Hangout ON AIR presents a cheap and accessible tool to actively engage with a larger target audience by using the content presented at the conference as engagement materials through large-scale double dipping. SOLUTION: To effectively leverage Google Hangout ON AIR as an online event, a level of excitement surrounding this event should be generated so as to build an audience online. This recommendation therefore proposes to launch a small to medium sized Social Media campaign for the duration of one month, preceding the international conference. The campaign should feature an engaging video promoting the event whilst illustrating the participants’ opportunities to engage with the conference online. BENEFITS: § Promoting international conferences through Google Hangout ON AIR presents a cheap and

accessible tool to actively engage with a larger target audience by using the content presented at the conference as engagement materials through large-scale double dipping.

5.3.3 [R5] – EXPAND ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES BY INTEGRATING PERIPHERAL TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS TWITTER, LANDING PAGES AND DIGITAL SIGNAGE.

OPPORTUNITY: Integrating peripheral technologies such as Twitter not only generate word-of-mouth online but further present an opportunity for deeper engagement of virtual participants attending through Country Groups or via Google Hangout ON AIR. SOLUTION: A. TWITTER INTEGRATION Research has shown that news programs featuring a live Twitter feed quote 20% higher audience retention than programs not supported by the same technology. A live Twitter feed can be easily integrated by using freely available tools. These tools can add to the dynamism of sessions and further provides an opportunity for deeper engagement of young people, both in Country Groups and the ON AIR audience. B. ONLINE LANDING PAGE A landing page can be created online to direct potential participants to select the sessions they are interested in attending live.


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Using the Hangout ON AIR – Application Programming interface (API), this integration can be easily achieved with little knowledge technological and at little additional cost. C. DIGITAL SIGNAGE DISPLAYS Digital Signage Displays often seen in shopping centers feature low rental costs and boast video conferencing and touch-screen capabilities. To enhance community engagement, these panels could be set up around the Global Village to permit video chats between participants attending the conference virtually or physically. This will further increase multilateral contact between physical and virtual participants and promote a diverse exchange of opinions, contacts and acquaintances. Utilizing freely available tools, additional functionality could be added to the Digital Signage including: • Current Conference Schedule • Poster Presentations • Live Facebook and Twitter Feeds • Photos of the day • Digital Conference Newspaper, etc.

BENEFITS: § Deeper engagement opportunities for Virtual Participants at conference sessions. § Enhanced exchange between physical and Virtual Participants. § Enhanced Social Media coverage through word-of-mouth online. § More customizable experience for Country Groups and ON AIR participants. § Additional functionality that benefits physical participants.

5.4 DEEPER INTEGRATION OF VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION INTO THE DESIGN OF THE CONFERENCE PROGRAM AND CORRESPONDING SESSIONS.

While largely positive, one of the lessons learned from implementing Virtual Participation at ICAAP11, was that the experience of Virtual Participants could be improved further by integrating the program in the session and program design. This involves: • More opportunities to provide questions or comments. • Improved liaison with session facilitators to obtain session materials in advance. • Consideration be given to Virtual Participants when designing interactive elements at Skills

Building Session.


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5.4.1 [R6] APPOINT SESSION LIAISON TO WORK WITH SESSION FACILITATORS ON DEEPER INTEGRATION OF VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION.

OPPORTUNITY: Actively engaging Virtual Participants in sessions will provide an opportunity for the presenter to expand their audience whilst incurring little additional effort. SOLUTION: A dedicated session liaison could work with the facilitators of various sessions to: • Share materials such as slides with the Virtual Participation Team prior to the presentation. • Notifying the Virtual Participation Team of the materials, such as flip-charts and/or other

materials that should be made available to the Country Groups. • Setting aside 10 minutes after the presenter has concluded his/her session to address Virtual

Participants and permit Country Groups to ask one or more questions. • Notify plenary participants of the Virtual Participants so as to acknowledge their presence and

possibly provide an opportunity to ask one question virtually.

BENEFITS: • A more engaging and meaningful exchange between virtual participants and the presenting

subject expert. • Opportunity for the presenter to increase their profile and clout in the HIV community on a

global level.

5.4.2 [R7] FORMALLY APPOINT A MEMBER OF THE CONFERENCE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE TO ACT AS FOCAL POINT FOR VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION

Appointing an advocate who is also a member of the Conference Organizing Committee at a senior level will secure the lateral integration of Virtual Participation as a crosscutting initiative across the planning process of the conference.

5.5 APPOINT A DEDICATED PERSON TO GENERATE EFFECTIVE SPONSORSHIP SUPPORT BASED ON DIGITAL AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT PRE AND POST VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION.

Actively engaging an audience of young people during an international conference provides corporate partners with responsible branding opportunities. Given its technological focus, Virtual Participation particularly lends itself to explore corporate sponsorships as it endeavors to engage a target audience that is well sought after in what corporate marketers call ‘the attention economy”. A template for a sponsorship package has already been produced and is included in APPENDIX 4.

APPENDIX 1 – Group Speaker Technical Briefing Document:

STEP-‐BY-‐STEP INSTALLATION GUIDE TO SET-‐UP AND JOIN A GOOGLE HANGOUT

Table of Contents

A. BEFORE WE START ................................................................................ 1 B. INSTALLATION ........................................................................................ 1 C. JOINING A HANGOUT ............................................................................. 6

A. BEFORE WE START Please log in to https://plus.google.com/ with YOUR COUNTRY’S DESIGNATED VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION ACCOUNT. Please DO NOT USE your personal GMAIL or EMAIL ACCOUNT COUNTRY VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION ACCOUNT

Philippines Username: icaapvp.philippines Pass: inherent_dignity

Viet Nam Username: icaapvp.vietnam Pass: inherent_dignity

India Username: icaapvp.india Pass: inherent_dignity

Indonesia Username: icaapvp.indonesia Pass: inherent_dignity

Cambodia Username: icaapvp.cambodia Pass: inherent_dignity

Pakistan Username: icaapvp.pakistan Pass: inherent_dignity

B. INSTALLATION Please note that this step may not be necessary for all users, as some of you may use up-to-date browser software with the necessary plug-in installed. You may require the assistance of your system-administrator to install the Google Plug-In on your computer.


If you have to go through this process YOU ONLY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS ONCE. 1. Click on the following link to log into your Google + Account:

https://plus.google.com/ 2. You should see the following log-in page:

Type in your email and password details.

3. If you typed in the right log-in details, you should see the following page.

Make sure that your country’s flag is displayed in the top-right corner.

4. Click on “Hangouts” in the top-right corner just UNDER your country’s flag.

5. A side-bar will open, listing the status of incoming and previous video calls.

6. Click on “+NEW HANGOUT”

7. The side-bar will now change and Google will ask you to tick the boxes of those contacts you would like to start a Google Hangout with:

8. Tick the second box and click on the camera-icon that will appear above.

9. From this point onward there are two things that can happen:

OPTION A

9A Google Hangout kindly advises that you haven’t installed the plug-in yet.

Click on the blue button to download the plug-in. Alternatively you can visit the following website to download the plug –in: https://www.google.com/tools/dlpage/hangoutplugin

OPTION B 9B . Google Hangout starts calling the contact you requested. CONGRATULATIONS: Your plug-in is already installed. You can now proceed with the below instructions to join a Google Hangout.

10. Click on the file you downloaded and proceed

with the installation. The following screenshot was taken from a Mac so the following window may look different on Windows:

11. During this process, you may be asked to enter

the administrator password. Please ask your system administrator for assistance.

12. Follow the installation instructions and

continuously select “continue”:

13. CONGRATULATIONS: You can now proceed

with the below instructions to join a Google Hangout.

C. JOINING A HANGOUT 1. Click on the following link to log into your Google + Account:

https://plus.google.com/ 2. You should see the following log-in page:

Type in your email and password details.


3. If you typed in the right log-in details, you should see the following page. Make sure that your country’s flag is displayed in the top-right corner.

4. Click on “Hangouts” in the top-right corner just UNDER your country’s flag.

Continued on next page…


5. A side-bar will open, listing the status of incoming and previous video calls.

6. When you receive a video call you will hear a calling tone and the following

window will be displayed next to the aforementioned side-bar.

7. Click on the green bar to join the call:


8. A new window should open and within seconds you should be able to see and hear the calling party:

TO BE CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE…

9. If you experience difficulties with seeing and/or hearing the other party,

make sure that you have your CAMERA and AUDIO switched on inside GOOGLE HANGOUT. You can see this by looking at the following icons.


Your sound and camera are ENABLED when the following icons are displayed on a BLACK BACKGROUND.

They are DISABLED if the same icons are displayed on a RED background:

You will also notice a red little icon at the bottom of your own video window:


?1 2

3 4

PLEASE GO TO PAGE 2

FOR INSTRUCTIONS

APPENDIX 2 – Group Speaker Training Document

1

PREPARATION GUIDE FOR GROUP SPEAKERS

Please cut out the question sign on page 1 and attach it it a ruler to make it into a sign.

5.1 The only person allowed to address the session facilitator in Bangok is the Group Speaker.

5.2 If virtual participants have a question or comment, they are required to write it in a note and submit the note to the Group Speaker.

5.3 If the Group Speaker wants to raise a question or comment from the group, she/he is to raise the question sign and wait patiently until the session facilitator directs addresses the Group Speaker.

The Group Speaker can then ask the group’s question.

TECHNICAL EMERGENCY CONTACT: mnedelko (skype) OR CALL +66(0) 830 180 838



APPENDIX 3 – TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION FOR VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION The following requirements provided the technological infrastructure on which basis the Virtual Participation Program was implemented:

ICAAP11 - Bangkok Country Group Venues

INTERNET • 50/5 Mbps • 1/500 Mbps/kbps*

VIDEO • CANON 5D Mark III • or ready Video Camera

• Web Cam

TV • 50’’ • With HDMI slot OR RGB PC slot

• Video Projector or TV with VGA, RGB or HDMI slot

AUDIO

• Sennheiser Lav Mic • Sennheiser Lav Mic Receiver • Audio Mixer (Hardware) • H4in • Audio Cable • 4-prong headset/mic plug • Converter

• Audio Cable • Speaker • Laptop with microphone

OPERATOR/ GROUP SPEAKER

• iMac or other PC • Ethernet slot • USB slot • HDMI/ Thunderbolt port • Or VGA port

• Any PC or Mac Book

SOFTWARE

• Chrome Web-Browser with Google Hangout Plug-In installed

• ManyCam • Canon Utility

• Chrome Web-Browser with Google Hangout Plug-In installed

*hardware requirements can be further reduced through set-up optimization on the conference-side.

October 5th, 2013 > LOCATION<

SPONSORSHIP PACKAGE

ICAAP11 SPONSORSHIP PACK (1st DRAFT) WHAT IS ICAAP This year more than 4000 delegates from government, non-‐governmental and mul=-‐na=onal organiza=ons are expected to aBend the Interna=onal Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP11). The Congress is the largest HIV/AIDS forum in the Asia and the Pacific Region. During the 5 day event government representa=ves, policy makers, scien=sts, donors, ac=vist and affected will come together the shape the development sector’s response to the HIV epidemic.

Being involved as a at this year’s ICAAP provides you with direct access to an audience of established and influen=al community members. The Congress is widely promoted across the en=re Asia Pacific Region and mul=na=onal organiza=ons in print and online media.

SPONSORSHIP

VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION Although they represent key drivers in the sector’s advocacy efforts, young people have been chronically underrepresented at previous congresses. Virtual Par=cipa=on means the online par=cipa=on of a from across the Asia-‐Pacific region during 9 key events at ICAAP11. With the use of Google Hangout Technology, it aims to virtually bring into the conference a wider audience of 200 selected youth leaders, otherwise unable to be present, to comment, share and ask ques=ons during various. Nine countries will par=cipate: Cambodia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Viet Nam. Each country will have at least 20 par=cipa=ng young people. Each par=cipant will be invited to their closest UNAIDS country office, where a live stream will link them to selected session at the ICAAP in Bangkok.

THE AUDIENCE The following provides an es=mated breakdown of the audience your sponsorship would be promoted to. Insert info on audience here. Insert info on audience here. Insert info on audience here. Insert info on audience here. Insert info on audience here. Insert info on audience here. Insert info on audience here. Insert info on audience here. Insert info on audience here. Insert info on audience here. Insert info on audience here. Insert info on audience here. Insert info on audience here. Insert info on audience here. Insert info on audience here. Insert info on audience here. Insert info on audience here. Insert info on audience here. Insert info on audience here. Insert info on audience here.

Overall 9 sessions have been earmarked for virtual par=cipa=on. 3 country groups will be assigned to aBend each session virtually (see illustra=on below)

THE PROGRAM

THE PR

OGRA

M 18th November 19th November 20th November

Group 1 (Cambodia, Fiji, India)

Insert session =tle here

Insert session =tle here Insert session =tle here

Group 2 (Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal)



Group 3 (Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Viet Nam)



SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES

GOLD

SPO

NSO

R THB

50,00

0

Sponsor’s Logo will be displayed in row 2 of the sponsorship banner.

Marke=ng collateral will be handed out to par=cipants in Bangkok (must be provided).

Logo will be displayed on the back of t-‐shirt of virtual par=cipa=on STAFF.

Logo will be displayed on Flat – Screen TV during guest sea=ng.

Special men=oning during session introduc=ons.

While the infrastructure in the respec=ve countries will be provided through UNAIDS, we are seeking sponsors to finance and/or provide flat screen TV’s, camera equipment and monetary support to rent fixed internet connec=ons at the Queen Sir kit Conven=on Centre here in Bangkok

SUPE

RIOR SPONSO

R THB

100

,000

Pull-‐out banner will be displayed on stage (will must be provided).


Sponsor’s Logo will be displayed in row 1 of the sponsorship banner.

Logo will be displayed in the center -‐front of t-‐shirt of virtual par=cipa=on STAFF.



A4 APPENDIX 4 – SPONSORSHIP TEMPLATE


IN KIND SPONORSHIP

IN KIND SPONSO

RSHIP Sponsor’s Logo will be displayed in row 3 of the sponsorship banner.


Logo will be displayed on the sleeves of virtual par=cipa=on STAFF.



Specifically, the organizing commiBee is looking for free rental of 3 high-‐defini=on cameras, direct able microphones and 3 flat screen TV sets.

INCLUSIONS

Sponsorship Level

Pull Out Banner On

stage

Special men=on by speaker during

introduc=on

Special men=on at the end of

session

Logo on sponsorship Banner

LOGO on STAFF SHIRT

Logo will be displayed on Screen during guest see=ng

Marke=ng collateral will be handed out to par=cipants

Superior YES YES YES YES TOP -‐LARGE

YES FRONT & CENTRE

YES YES

Gold -‐ YES YES YES MITTLE MEDIUM SIZED

YES BACK

YES YES

In Kind -‐ -‐ YES YES BOTTOM MEDIUM SIZED

YES SLEVES

YES YES

CONTACT DETAILS Contact Person ADDRESS ADDRESS ADDRESS EMAIL PHONE


Virtual Participation at ICAAP11

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