iConquerMS Summit: Perfection is Not The Goal

Architex produces the iConquerMS Summit for the fourth year, prioritizing collaboration and community above all else.

SUMMARY

Accelerated Cure Project’s annual iConquerMS (iCMS) Summit features a series of virtual meetings and social activities. Aiming to empower people living with MS to participate in research and the advancement of medical knowledge, iCMS puts people affected by the disease at the center of the conversation, and their annual Summit serves as a touch-base for those involved to connect and recenter on the organization’s mission. Architex has produced the iCMS Summit for four years (2022-2025), using each iteration as an opportunity to improve upon the digital event process and better understand this organization’s specific needs for a virtual gathering. Unlike other organizations, iConquerMS prioritizes creating a collaborative and conversational event space. Focusing more on the process than the product, Summit moderators encourage participants to engage thoughtfully and actively. Due to the communal nature of the iCMS Summit, Architex’s approach to this event’s design has to be flexible while still maintaining a structure that inspires confidence.

DESIGN

• Goal: Produce two five-hour long general sessions that could support breakout rooms of various sizes and functionalities, video playback, music playback, live Q&A, and slide sharing.
  

• In order to achieve this goal, below are the key considerations taken into account during the production design process:
  

  • Website design where all conference links can live in a central location.
    

    

  • LiveChat widget embedded into the website to help make the virtual event experience more accessible to this specific attendee base.
    

    

• An event production plan that permitted active participation and sustained engagement from all attendees.
  

  • The iCMS team utilized graphic recordings as a tool to keep content engaging.
    

    • On the technical side, Architex incorporated live polling as a way of involving attendees throughout the five hour session.

• Keeping tech team at a minimum in an attempt to create a more transparent and community-oriented environment.
  

• Backstage communication across the fully remote staff and crew.
  

• A second virtual space that felt more intimate for post-general session social hours—SpatialChat.

CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS

• Maintain a seamless morning and afternoon broadcast while preserving the ability of broadcast teams to take necessary breaks.
  

• The iCMS team wanted to promote community-building moments by utilizing the breakout function within Zoom. In order to keep attendees engaged, we explored the various functionalities of breakout rooms, from choose your own adventure to random assignment to round robin.
  

• Encourage collaboration by building out detailed production plans that leave room for spontaneity and unknown variables.
  

• Provide as easy of an experience as possible for those affected by MS by consolidating buttons and links and minimizing extraneous virtual production obstacles.

BEST PRACTICES

VIRTUAL EVENT DESIGN THAT PRIORITIZES COMMUNITY AND ACCESSIBILITY

• Consolidate information into one central location, providing as few links as possible in an attempt to minimize potential for confusion or misdirection.
  

• Pre-record special guest spots so control remains in the hands of the tech team.
  

• Have live event staff engage with attendees in the chat, giving instructions and support in the event space.
  

• Have live event staff available in a central, accessible location outside of general session times via LiveChat.
  

• Provide ample instruction—both written, verbal, and visual—for conference navigation.
  

• Staff technical support in various forms—chat, verbal, visual.
  

• Design the conference schedule to allow for ample breaks featuring music, physical activity, and human connection.
  

• Utilize familiar and popular event platforms—such as Zoom—to increase participants’ chances at success and enjoyment.

RESULTS and AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT

• Use of SpatialChat increased by 11.11% from 2024 to 2025 with average user time at 45 minutes out of the 90 minutes offered for social hour.
  

• There was an increase in website engagement by 9.6% from 2023 to 2025 and by 18.6% from 2024 to 2025.
  

• Those with MS can be affected in a variety of ways; while we offer different avenues for engagement for participants, Architex and Accelerated Cure look to continue to find ways to improve accessibility. As an example, Architex has a deep network of CART stenographers and ASL interpreters to leverage to create a more accessible event.

For more information on iConquerMS, see iconquerms.org