Seminars to webinars: Accepting a new normal in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: With hotels and conference halls shut in the wake of Covid-19, webinars have caught the imagination of event organisers.
“For us, internet is the latest venue. We are holding webinars on different topics. The lockdown has changed the meaning of meetings and conferences. Using technology, we can organise seminars and invite as many people as we want to participate. There is no need to arrange a hotel or conference hall and spend money,” said Pankaj Sharma, a lecturer.
The ministry of tourism on Wednesday organised a webinar on ‘Odisha: India’s best kept secret’, which took the participants on a virtual journey into the state. In the webinar, tourism secretary Vishal Dev briefed participants about the state’s ancient civilisation, famous temples, vast coastline endowed with beautiful beaches, arts and handicrafts, culture, popular dance forms such as Odissi, Gotipua and forests. BJP’s national vice-president Baijayant Panda on Thursday addressed a webinar on global political alignment post-Covid-19, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Similarly, Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) held a webinar on sustainable tourism in highland Odisha on May 11 where speakers deliberated on response and responsibilities in the post-corona world. Utkal Entrepreneurship and Career Hub in collaboration with the Rusa cell of Utkal University, is scheduled to hold a webinar on the start-up ecosystem in Odisha on May 16.