2020 World Congress FAQ

FTI decided to move the 2020 World Congress to an online format in order to provide our network with a place to come together during this difficult time. We’re confident that our attendees will experience the same levels of energy, education, and community as they have come to expect from the in-person event. Further, the World Congress is our largest fundraiser and is an important contributor to FTI’s financial health as a nonprofit, as it helps to support our staff and programming throughout the year.

• You save on travel expenses – hotels, meals, and airfare add up quickly.
• You'll have access to triple the AIA learning units – earn up to 36 hours by attending the World Congress plus an additional 6 if you participate in the workshop series.
• Get five-fold increase in accessible programming. All presentations are recorded, so you can watch on-demand anytime through the end of the year.
• Our virtual platform creates three-fold increase in networking opportunities through features like real-time chat and integrated one-on-one videos. The attendee directory allows you to search and connect directly with the right people throughout the event.

All registered attendees will receive access to the digital conference proceedings through the virtual conference platform at least one week prior to the start of the conference.

If you are an FTI member, you can access individual papers on the FTI website now! Simply Sign In and then navigate to Resources > Papers in the navigation menu at the top of the page.

We’re excited to have everyone that already registered for the in-person event as part of the new online experience. If you’re already registered for the event, no action is required on your part. All World Congress registrations have been transferred to the new platform, with the temporary exception of building tours. We are working to confirm these in a virtual format and will reach out to those who registered for tours with further information.

All hotel bookings made as part of our hotel block at The Ace or The Hoxton hotels will be automatically cancelled without charge. If you made your reservation through our hotel block, no further action is required.

The number of hours received will depend on the number of sessions you attend. By attending every available session, whether live or after the fact via the on-demand recording, one can earn up to 36 hours of credit. Session attendance will be tracked for reporting purposes. Attendees who also choose to attend all three workshop sessions can earn an additional 6 hours of credit (2 credits per workshop). Learn more and register for workshops here.

Not for now, as your ticket will automatically be transferred. One week before the conference, we will send an access link so that you may begin setting up your user profile and building out your schedule. In advance of the event, you will have access to an orientation video outlining the platform’s features and describing how to access them.

If you are interested in joining one of our workshops, learn more and register here.

We’re pleased to present the 2020 World Congress over the full month of August, with programming each Wednesday – plus workshops, access to the interactive virtual Expo Hall, and on-demand virtual tours available every Thursday. Because we’re coming to you virtually, we’re able to offer broader access to attendees over a longer period of time, reducing the number of sessions you will need to choose between and allowing you to make connections with other leaders in the industry over a longer period of time. Our new virtual schedule also allows for more time to watch the content, explore the vExpo, and engage with other attendees. To help avoid the “Zoom fatigue” that may come along with attending full-day online conferences, will be presenting no more than three hours of content per day, with virtual networking opportunities mixed in. You can find the full program here.

Please note that the virtual schedule shows times in Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4).

The virtual schedule shows times in US Eastern Standard Time (UTC-4).

We feel confident that a virtual format will allow us to provide a greater level of value for attendees than even an in-person event would. We strongly believe that our best-in-class platform goes above and beyond to foster connection, encourage deeper learning, and allows attendees to access session recordings on-demand after the event -- in addition to reducing travel time and costs!

We created a short orientation video in advance of the event to reduce any technical issues attendees might experience, as well as specialized training for sponsors and speakers. We will also have “on-site” technical assistance available to attendees, sponsors, and speakers. If you’re experiencing an issue, the fastest way to get help is to click on Account > Need Help? in the main navigation menu of the virtual platform.

If you do not want to take part in this year's FTI World Congress, please email Katie at kgould@facadetectonics.org and she'll take care of you.

Unfortunately, we are not able to accept cancellations after July 8, 2020. We’ll be sorry to miss you and hope you can join us in 2022!

Our virtual Expo Hall lets attendees get that real, in-person trade show feel. Please download our Sponsorship Program for more information.

Our virtual platform allows us to offer our sponsors several new and expanded benefits. Please download our Sponsorship Program for more information.

Thank you for your interest in supporting FTI’s World Congress, our largest fundraiser and an important contributor to FTI’s financial health as a nonprofit. We invite you to download the Sponsorship Program; please reach out to cbrandom@facadetectonics.org with any inquiries.

If you have not already, please contact us at events@facadetectonis.org to confirm your participation. You should have received an email with additional details the week of June 15, which includes additional information about your speaker training and new session time. We will also share an access link so that you may begin setting up your user profile prior to the event.