Only three weeks to go to the Virtual International Day of the Midwife 5th May 2011

Crickey, only three weeks to go...where on earth has the time flown. Here are the outcomes of the VIDM 2011 organising committee meeting this week.

1. Program
The program is now almost complete. We have three slots that have yet to be confirmed - 5th May 18.00 & 21.00 hours, and possibly 01.00 hours on the 6th May New Zealand.

• If you know of anyone who you think would like to be involved, please feel free to shoulder tap or volunteer yourself. This does not have to be a formal presentation - a story about your practice, or discussion of an issue that interests you would be fabulous.

2. Master facilitators/facilitators
I will be the master facilitator from 12.00 - 23.00 hours on 5th May. Lorraine will master facilitate from 6th May Midnight until 06.00 hours, then I will take over again until mid-day. Our responsibilities will be the big picture stuff, supporting the facilitators.

Each session will need an individual facilitator who will run the session and support the speaker before the day and during the session. It will be the facilitator's responsibility to make sure the speaker is all ready to go. It will also be the facilitator's responsibility to come up with Plan B if the speaker doesn't turn up on the day. My suggestion is the facilitator is prepared to facilitate an open discussion, either on a prepared topic, or on a topic that the audience requests. We had to do that a couple of times last year, and it worked very well.

• If you are prepared to be a facilitator of a session, please let me know or put your name on the program in the column "Facilitator" right at the end of the program.
  

3. Information for speakers and facilitators
There are pages with information for both speakers and facilitators on the VIDM wiki. Chris will have a look at the pages and add information or edit when relevant.

• If there is any information missing, please feel free to add to wiki. You do not need to have an account to be able to edit.
  

4. Marketing VIDM2011
For the time being I have filled the three empty slots with asynchronous resources which can be shifted if and when we can organise a live session. This means we can get on and market the program from now on.

• Please feel free to advertise the VIDM 2011 where ever you like!

5. Facebook and Twitter
Lorraine and Pam are increasing postings as we get nearer the 5th May. Our new Facebook page is down on followers quite significantly from last year so we need to work hard to increase those followers. On the other hand, our Twitter followers are growing fast.

• Feel free to spread the news about VIDM on all your Facebook pages and via Twitter.

The other job we need to do is set up each session on the program as an event on Facebook so people can follow what we're doing on Facebook as well as on the wiki. This is a time-consuming task so it would be great if all committee members lend a hand doing that - every committee member is an administrator of the Facebook page.

6. VIDM 2011 website
I think the VIDM 2011 wiki looks pretty good but I would appreciate a "critical" look being cast over it. Any feedback about how it could be improved would be gratefully received. Have a look at this use of Wikispaces to facilitate a conference: TCC Conference:

• Have an good look at the program and see how they have organised it so there is less scrolling down. Do we need to do the same with our program?
• Also, have a look at how they have structured their information about using Elluminate. Can the way we have given information about using technology be improved?
• Same applies with the information we are giving speakers and facilitators.
• Is there any ideas from the TCC website that we can borrow?

7. Practice sessions
We need to advertise practice sessions in Elluminate, in the lead up to VIDM 2011. Please can I ask that we arrange dates in the week-10 days beforehand where the organising committee each run a practice session.

• Please can you give me a time and date that you would be free to facilitate a practice session, in which you show people how to do basic things in the Elluminate room. We need to be mindful that we cover the 24 hour clock, and service time frames where speakers are situated.
  

8. Feedback from speakers and facilitators
I am in the throes of developing a feedback form for VIDM participants. Chris will think about how we can get feedback from speakers and facilitators.

9. Next committee meeting: Wednesday 27th April 10.00 hours New Zealand.