Centralized, Streamlined Website Will Host 130th Continental Congress

Denise Doring VanBuren, President General

May 26, 2021

Your 130^th Continental Congress team is busy planning for an outstanding upcoming virtual conference, and today we are pleased to launch a new Virtual Congress Website as your single, central location to access all of the exciting events on the horizon. Designed in coordination with event management company, Cvent, the site represents months of work in response to your most-requested improvement from last year’s Congress survey: provide a streamlined and consistent platform to host the online Congress experience.

While I know you all well enough to realize that you’re going to want to dive right in and take it for a test drive immediately (!), I hope that you’ll first take a few moments to read below and learn more about the site and how it operates in order to fully appreciate its benefits and learn how to navigate it. So, please: keep reading! (Spoiler alert: the URL address for the website appears below as the “finale” to this blog post if you just can’t wait!)

It’s a Two-Layer Website

It’s important to note that there are two layers to the new Virtual Congress Website. On the HOME Virtual Congress Website, all of the official sessions can be viewed on this first layer of the site by anyone when they are being livestreamed. To view the second layer – which houses additional state, committee and club events – you must sign up to access the CONGRESS EVENTS VIRTUAL HUB.

1. HOME: The Virtual 130^th Continental Congress Website home page gives you an overview of Congress happenings and links to key information:

Home page: Includes a catch-all of what is featured on the Virtual Congress Website.
Insider’s Guide: Find everything you need to know about Congress, e.g. the program when it is added closer to the week of Congress.
Livestream: Everyone can view all eight official Congress sessions on this page when they are being broadcast live – freely share this page with family and friends.
Schedule: Check out the tentative Virtual Congress Schedule but note that more events and details will continue to be added. Be sure to sign up for and log into the Virtual Hub to add events to your personal schedule (see below).
Shopping: Access exciting DAR shopping products.
Giving: Learn more about how to support our National Society.

2. CONGRESS EVENTS VIRTUAL HUB:

In order to access any/all of the virtual state, committee and club events, participants must first SIGN UP to access the second layer of the website, the Congress Events Virtual Hub. After signing up, members will receive a verification code (sent to their email and cell phone) to give them access to the Virtual Hub allowing you to see more details about the events on the schedule. Please note that the verification code is good for one use and expires after 24 hours. Once it expires, or if you're logging in on a new device, you will receive a fresh code in order to log in to the Virtual Hub. This is an added security measure designed to protect your privacy and access.

Though participation in all of the virtual events is free, those who wish to take part in them must click the ADD button for each event they want to attend in advance of the event happening in order to help planners ensure adequate online capacity and for security purposes. By adding the event to your personal schedule, you will be able to view the program on the event page. Signing up for the Virtual Hub and adding events to your personal schedule is the only way to gain access to any of the Congress virtual events (i.e. outside the business sessions and evening ceremonies). You can add and remove events on your personal schedule at any time.

What Happens Now/Next?

Feel free to take a sneak peek at the tentative schedule and get to know the new website. Remember: it’s going to get better and better because we will continue to add and update information on the Virtual Congress Website as we lead up to the week of Congress June 28 – July 4.

Make sure to also “Sign Up” for access to the Congress Events Virtual Hub. Once inside the Virtual Hub, you can add events to your own personal schedule. Though all events are free, some are open exclusively to committee or club members. (If you add an event that you are ineligible to attend, the event organizer will remove you from registration.) All events will stream on the event’s individual webpage within the Congress Events Virtual Hub. Beginning about 5 minutes before its start, a streaming box will appear on the page to confirm that you are in the right place – there will be no need to navigate to a different website or program.

Mobile Device Access

The Virtual Congress Website is completely accessible on your laptop or mobile devices, but you may also download an App version of the Congress Events Virtual Hub, which replaces the former Congress App. This new Congress App focuses on the schedule of events and will keep details at your fingertips as you are on the go. The App connects with your Congress Events Virtual Hub profile; so, once you have signed up for access to the Virtual Hub and have added events to your personal schedule, you will be able to access them from the App as well.

To download the App, simply follow this link: Cvent Events App – DAR 130th Continental Congress. You may also locate it in the App Store by searching for “Cvent Events.” Once you have downloaded the Cvent Events App, you will search for your event by typing in “DAR 130^th Continental Congress.” The Cvent App will automatically pull up this event.

The Virtual 130^th Continental Congress Website will continue to be updated, enhanced and bolstered with additional information as we get closer to the week of Congress, so please make sure to check it frequently! Please contact [email protected] if you experience any difficulties or have any questions.

The Big Reveal

And now, I invite you to experience the Virtual 130^th Continental Congress Website—hope to see you there! www.dar.org/VirtualCongress

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