“We need to be visionary; we have to be bold.”
— Angela Elwell Hunt
In unpredictable times, we have to be flexible and forward-thinking. Sometimes that can take shape in a surprising way! For example, if you’d told me just six months ago that we’d be organizing a 10-hour meeting spread out over two days that included over 30 orthodontists and industry experts, I might have laughed the whole thing off. Yet that’s exactly what ended up happening recently with The Digital Orthodontist: Live! Meeting. This exciting event exceeded every hope we had for it, and we wanted to share a little bit about it here with all of you!
We had over 2,000 people register and an incredible turnout on both days. Although we feared technical difficulties with a group of that size in one online space at the same time, we managed to avoid any significant disruptions (thanks in large part to working directly with Zoom and carrying out multiple practice runs before we went live!) This allowed us to present a seamless experience for those attending, and certainly kept the stress levels at a minimum from our end.
The result was 10 uplifting hours of high-quality content and meaningful discussion about how the orthodontic community can survive and thrive during (and after) the COVID-19 crisis. With so many inspiring speakers lined up, we weren’t sure we’d be able to fit everything into our two days together! We discussed a wide variety of topics, including:
- maintaining good mental health habits, now and in the future
- the most cutting-edge options available in orthodontics today
- new OSHA and PPE requirements
- how to manage your practice, your team, and yourself in a post-COVID world
- and much, much more.
Having our guests be so willing to appear on the screen really elevated the level of interaction between everyone. One more fun surprise (and a very last minute addition) was our drinking game Bingo. I mean, what else are you gonna do to pass the time during a 10-hour online meeting! The meeting really was the next best thing to kicking back and chatting in person.
One of the best parts about registering for TDO: Live! is that this incredible content is available for online viewing for the next year. So, if you signed up but weren’t able to attend, you can still take advantage of the insights and information our attendees enjoyed. This is a great way to get all your staff on the same page going forward, too.
We may not have foreseen the need for this event heading into 2020, but we couldn’t be more proud of what we were able to accomplish with it! After so many weeks of uncertainty, it was great to be able to listen to and learn from each other in such a supportive environment. The meeting was a much-needed reminder that we really are all in this together.
As we continue working our way through this new normal, we would love to stay connected with you! Join The Digital Orthodontist Facebook Group for updates on future events and orthodontic resources during COVID-19 and beyond.
Special thanks to everyone who helped make The Digital Orthodontist: Live! Meeting such a huge success. We may just do it again next year… quarantine or not!
Kyle Fagala, DDS, MDS
Co-Founder, Neon Canvas