Wow. We had a blast at MonsterComm, and it sounds like you did too! Making sure our event was accessible to everyone, we held it in an 8-bit (retro video game style) 2D-world. We had:
- Four talks by experts in their field
- Three prizes from our virtual treasure hunt
- Two guest experiences including office tours and a virtual reality (VR) demo
- One digital conference with endless opportunity for flexibility and inclusivity
Our speakers discussed job flexibility and remote working, training the next generation of medical writers, and gamification in healthcare. This was a Monster First, and we are still on a high!
So, what were the key takeaways from MonsterComm?
Accessibility + inclusivity = digital events for everyone
Firstly, digital events come without the same baggage as physical events. In fact, baggage is one thing you don’t need to worry about packing before attending a virtual conference. These meetings are truly accessible, making it easy for guests to attend around any existing commitments or limitations.
Physically, there’s no travel time or inconvenient hotel stay required. You can tune in for the talk that piqued your interest. Still make it in time to collect your little one from nursery after work. We love how the digital space opens possibilities and inclusivity by making it easier for those to attend for whom travel is difficult or not an option for various reasons.
Personally, it’s so easy to slide into a virtual conversation or ask a burning question by just typing it into the Q&A box. Our MonsterComm guests loved bumping into old friends and colleagues they hadn’t seen for years!
It’s a great concept and I really enjoyed it. It’s so surreal but somehow because you can dip in and out it really has the feel of a real conference
MonsterComm delegate
Digital innovation makes remote working easy
At Word Monster we’ve always been remote first. It turns out, this is easy with all the digital tools we have at our disposal. Our first speaker, Dr Carl Owen (our Head Monster), showed us how powerful remote working is. We can create anything together with our VR whiteboard, host client workshops in our virtual office, or record educational talks on an idyllic white-sand beach (sorry — that’s still VR!).
Ultimately, this helps us feel like we’re in the same room as our colleagues. There’s also so much opportunity for us to get together. From playing poker, racing each other in our virtual go karts, or watching the latest episode of Bluey together.
While we’d one day love to have our own bat-monster signal à la Commissioner Gordon, for now, whenever someone needs support, our tools make it easy and efficient to reach out to a colleague for help.
Flexible working and learning are the future
Turns out, remote working is a highly sought after job feature. As part of her session, Molly Johnson-Jones (Co-Founder at Flexa Careers) discussed how Flexa are changing the world by providing clarity on what a flexible job means (spoiler: turns out it’s different for everyone), and how you can find an employer that offers things you value.
Research from Flexa shows 76% of people say that flexibility is non-negotiable — something that’s already our philosophy at Word Monster. There is an unmet need for more fully remote jobs to meet growing demand. So for those companies that do offer it, kudos to you — definitely something to shout about!
That’s why we chose the flexible approach for our Monster Academy. As we heard from Dr Caroline Bradley (Head of Monster Academy), the Monster Academy offers consultancy, talent acquisition, mentoring, and of course, our bedrock: training workshops and education for new writers.
Our courses are developed from a deep understanding and expertise, by a team with over 100 years collective medical writing experience (say what?!). Monster Academy takes remote learning to a whole new level, on a timeframe that suits you, with the promise of personalised communication with, and feedback from, the trainers in a virtual space; an invaluable offering for those looking to join the world of med comms.
Gaming can elevate healthcare (and workplaces)
What a great job I think you guys did! It was super interesting
MonsterComm delegate
But it wasn’t all work and no play at MonsterComm, as demonstrated by our epic treasure hunt with three (yes three!) prizes that were up for grabs. (To the few of you who found our Easter Egg — wasn’t it awesome, matey?!)
Playing games together has been shown to increase bonding and feelings of connectedness and we’re a fan of them at Word Monster. Dr Stephanie Campbell (founder of OKKO Health) discussed how she’s using video games and data science to improve the lives of patients living with degenerative eye disease, through making monitoring more convenient for the patient, and increasing engagement through enjoyment and empowerment. Specifically, she spoke about how high-quality data from state-of-the-art technology can illustrate the nuances and impact of a patient’s eye health in a way that a regular-old eye chart can never do.
But gaming in healthcare is already established (everyone’s heard of Fitbit or Strava, right?) and now it’s even been used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and aid research into dementia. We were absolutely blown away by the patient testimonials and possibilities. The future of predictive healthcare is bright, and we foresee lots of gaming in our future. (Leave us alone Mum, it’s good for us!)
Conclusion
The world of med comms is changing and there is increasing emphasis on concepts and tools that just weren’t a thing a few years ago. At MonsterComm, we covered a lot of 8-bit ground discussing remote and flexible working, how our very own Monster Academy is upskilling medical writers to help fill the resource void, and how gamification is changing the world of healthcare for the better.
That’s why we wanted to do this event a bit differently, by providing a more intuitive and natural way for people to get together remotely, that mimics the “real world” (ignoring the desert island we currently have as part of our virtual office). Virtual events are the future, allowing us to do more, faster, and cheaper, all from the comfort of our own homes.
With MonsterComm officially wrapped for 2023, we want to thank our speakers and sponsors. We couldn’t have held this event without you, so thank you for taking the time out of your day to share your insights.
Our brilliant speakers:
Dr Carl Owen, CEO of Word Monster
Dr Caroline Bradley, Head of Monster Academy
Molly Johnson-Jones, Co-Founder of Flexa Careers
Dr Stephanie Campbell, Founder of OKKO Health
And our fantastic sponsors:
TRAFIK: Your design studio for all things healthcare.
InnerCircle: Your go to for specialist in-house and in-agency support.
Open Audience: Your audience engagement experts for live and virtual events.
Leave Dates: Your answer to smart yet simple time-off management.
And lastly, thank YOU, our wonderful guests who came, danced, raced go-karts, or hunted for treasure with us on the day. We’re looking forward to welcoming you back to a virtual space soon.