The 2016 National Volunteering Conference is set to take place in Canberra from April 6-8, but for those not able to attend in person, this year the conference content is available through their new app. This can be found at www.eventmobi.com/volconf2016.  Understanding the importance of volunteers, and giving them access to information and ideas to contribute to the development of the Australian volunteering sector is a vital role of Volunteering Australia, and the new app is just as thorough and worthwhile as attending the conference in person.

Designed to be accessible for as many people as possible, once downloaded, the app is available offline. It can also be accessed through a range of devices (iPhone, android, tablet, laptop, PC and others). It has easy to navigate menus throughout, allowing users to find particular content that interests them. The app also offers users the ability to set their schedule and nominate programs in different time-frames, customising the conference experience with complete convenience.

A key element of the conference is the attendance of speakers, and the app allows users to make the most of speaker expertise by allowing access to documents filed under each speaker’s name. These documents take a range of forms. Some are copies of PowerPoint presentations speakers use during their addresses. It is useful, even for people who attend the conference, to be able to access these, to recap any salient points. For those who cannot attend, it is a trove of information they will find very useful. Other of the documents contain outlines of exercises speakers ask attendees to participate in during their presentations, and having access to these also, gives a good idea of what a particular speaker’s address entails.

Another excellent aspect of the app is function for attendees to list themselves, and their organisations. This gives everyone a great tool to find out if established contacts are attending, as well as the possibility to contact people who they feel might be a good fit for networking purposes.

Overall, the 2016 National Volunteer Conference app is a great addition to an overall well-planned conference, and one that users will find adds to their experience of the conference, whether they can be there or not.