This year at ICTforAg 2024, we were eager to show that distance is no barrier to impact, learning and collaboration. We brought together over 3,000 people – across participants and speakers in five in-person cities and over 100 countries virtually – made the knowledge that was shared openly accessible online, grew a platform for ongoing learning, and created new opportunities for youth and young professionals.
In planning these events – which bring together participants working to strengthen agrifood systems in low- and middle-income countries – we were dedicated to localizing impact through inspiration, innovation and inclusion. This meant selecting speakers who represented on-the-ground challenges and solutions, openly sharing knowledge after the event, and ensuring participation was available to all, especially the young leaders of tomorrow.
Ready to bring together your global community? Want to use virtual technology to drive local impact? Get in touch!
Making local expertise global knowledge
This year, DevGlobal and CGIAR, in partnership with USAID, Feed the Future, and DAI Digital Frontiers, delivered a global ICTforAg program, spanning five countries in-person and many more online. Over 2,940 people registered, with 640+ attendees in-person in New Delhi, India; Nairobi, Kenya; Los Baños, Philippines; Texcoco, Mexico; and Washington, D.C., USA and 1,680+ virtual attendees joining live. The event hosted 101 sessions with 314 speakers. Sessions were made accessible immediately after the event and have been viewed 10,000+ times across 100 countries!
To ensure broad participation and collaboration, the planning team designed the agendas to focus on hybrid sessions over the first two days – allowing for global participation while lifting up local topics and expertise. The third was a dedicated virtual day to expand participation beyond the five in-person cities, highlight perspectives from other regions, and make space for conversations that included a broad array of voices.
The planning and execution of a large-scale, multi-day, multi-city, global, hybrid event is no small feat, and DevGlobal’s team of consultants and experts worked strategically in partnership with the following research centers: the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) to deliver world-class Project Coordination, Event Strategy, Speaker & Attendee Management, Sponsorship Strategy & Support, Communications, Brand Development, Graphic & Motion Design, Technical Production and Onsite/Hybrid Event Execution.
Accessible and ongoing learning
Fundamental to the event teams’ planning was making sure that learning and conversations could continue beyond the events. For the sessions themselves, this meant making sure that all the rich content from the event was available afterwards – check out all 80+ hours of content archived on YouTube.
Additionally, the ICTforAg Learning Network is an online platform that was created in 2023 for collaboration and digital learning, and we welcomed 500 new users in 2024. The platform continues to evolve as new needs and opportunities are identified and will serve as a hub for sharing localized content and best practices for global benefit.
Building the Next Generation
This year, the event prioritized youth engagement through the 2024 ICTforAg NextGen Ambassador Program, acknowledging the critical importance of the dynamic youth attendees. Led by DevGlobal Digital Agriculture Advisor, Femi Adekoya, 30 ambassadors from 16 countries were selected to learn about and engage in content curation and community outreach to drive conversation, registration, and participation.
13 ambassadors received financial support from CGIAR to travel to ICTforAg locations, where they highlighted youth and young professional voices through participation in panels, lightning talks, and closing sessions. As one onsite ambassador shared, “being in the same room with experts in the digital agriculture space, where knowledge, networking, and learning opportunities were abundant, was truly invaluable.” An additional 10 ambassadors participated as speakers and session facilitators during ICTforAg Virtual Day.
The ambassadors learned from leaders in digital agriculture, participated in networking and mentoring events, and practiced strategies for social media content creation, engagement, and professional networking in a communications workshop led by DevGlobal Communications Director, Laura Guzmán, and DevGlobal Consultant and ICTforAg communications lead, Suzanne Konswa.
What's next?
Hybrid events are a powerful way to increase reach, bring more diverse people into the conversation, improve access for previously underrepresented communities, and share knowledge beyond geographical borders and professional silos. At DevGlobal, it’s a critical way to localize impact, bring new expertise to global audiences and democratize the power of technology. Get in touch with us to strategize around what hybrid events can do for your community
