WORK has started on creating a “Virtual” Disability Awareness Day after this year’s event at Walton Gardens had to be called off due to the coronavirus pandemic.
On what should have been the 29th Warrington Disability Awareness Day, which has now become the largest event of its kind in the world, work started on preparing for Virtual DAD.
But due to the pandemic organisers has little choice but to call it off. But undeterred work has now started on creating a virtual event on Sunday October 25, followed by a week of activities from Monday 26th to Friday 30th of October.
Warrington Disability Partnership will work in partnership to create a highly engaging virtual DAD event emulating the ‘real event’ with a high quality look and feel online experience, including mix of real and virtual reality (mixed reality). Capable of taking large volume of online traffic.
It will include a new dedicated Website/Portal – capable of hosting live events, virtual models and high level of traffic up to 10,000 plus simultaneously. A click on bespoke graphical site plan or list/icon of sponsor/exhibitor, public will be able to navigate around the virtual marquees by virtual tour.
Commenting on the event WDP Chief Executive and Disability Awareness Day founder Dave Thompson said: “It feels really strange, and somewhat sad, sitting here at Walton Gardens on the day and the time when the grounds should have been full of marquees, food vendors, over a hundred stewards and volunteers, hundreds of exhibitors and entertainers and getting ready for the tens of thousands of visitors who would have attended WDP’s 29th annual Disability Awareness Day.
“But instead we are shooting a promotional video with Phil and the guys from 4wardfutures that will be used to introduce our virtual event being launched on Sunday 25th October. It’s going to be amazing. Huge thanks to Tony Brown and his team from Expanse Learning Group, our principal sponsors.”
It is hoped the new virtual event will create a legacy and become part of future events, enabling those who can not attend the chance to be involved.