March 2021

AERA’s 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting will be held on an interactive and dynamic platform that will offer all attendees an inviting, user-friendly virtual environment. The platform has much to offer that is intuitive and engaging—from displaying the full searchable program where attendees can create their own schedules to providing every attendee with the capacity to invite others to chat or join social networking events or informal gatherings.

“We are thrilled to unveil the AERA Virtual Conference Center and excited to create a highly engaging, inclusive, and safe virtual environment and experience for all attendees,” said AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine. “With plenty of platform features for live engagement, we are aiming for this special annual meeting to be just as intellectually stimulating and rewarding as those held in person, if not more.”

“We are especially pleased to offer attendees so many opportunities for social networking and exchanges,” Levine said. “We envision the Virtual Annual Meeting as an all-day destination, from attending individual sessions and meeting with others virtually one-on-one to joining colleagues for virtual end-of-day receptions.”

The Virtual Conference Center is easy to navigate, with a map with pins labeled for all of the locations on the platform, including the Exhibit Hall, the On Demand Library, and the Networking Opportunities Space, among other favorite spots. Attendees will be able to get to any scheduled event directly from the general schedule or from their personalized schedule.

All sessions except the poster sessions will be recorded and will be accessible for meeting registrants in the On Demand Library for viewing approximately 36 hours after a session concludes. Sessions will be accessible to meeting registrants within the On Demand Library for one year after the conclusion of the Annual Meeting.

On April 2, AERA will open the Virtual Conference Center to registered attendees. Registered attendees will receive unique login credentials on April 2, including a username, password, and the URL to access the platform. While many of the features of the platform will not be available until the meeting goes live, registrants will have a chance to explore the virtual environment starting on April 2, before the conference begins on April 8. The platform is entirely web-based so there is no need to download software or an app in advance.