For the IB2019 edition EBCs knowledge exchange event went online! Instead of joining a two day workshop hosted by one of the participating utilities, colleagues could now login to 6 different online Knowledge Picnics.
To prevent an online ‘overkill’ the sessions were spread over 4 consecutive Thursdays (between 26 November and 17 December). During the Knowledge Picnic ‘marathon’ each session focussed on one specific theme: Covid-19, Smart metering, EBCs pilot report on the Sustainable Development Goals, Aquathermia, Climate Resilience and Digitalization. During the Picnics one or more participating utilities shared their best practices and discussed possible challenges.
With very positive feedback from participants and double the number of participants (>170) compared to the regular workshop, the new format proved successful. And while not being a replacement for the regular event, it is definitely a very useful and effective tool to exchange knowledge and experiences. Based on the experiences so far on thing is clear: the online Knowledge Picnic is here to stay as addition to the EBC programme!