Virtual Conference
What is the difference between CELEA and CELT?
CELEA (Christian English Language Educators Association) is the organization that coordinates the CELT (Christians in English Language Teaching) conference. More information about CELEA membership can be found here.
Are the virtual and in-person CELT conferences the same thing?
Not exactly. Historically, the CELT conference has always taken place right before the TESOL convention in whatever city TESOL is. The virtual conference was started in 2020 and continues now in order to maximize involvement from our professional community throughout the world.
Virtual CELT takes place March 8–9, 2024 on the Whova platform while in-person CELT will take place March 20, 2024 at First Baptist Church Tampa in Tampa, FL
Some sessions will be presented at both conferences while other sessions may only be presented at one conference. You can register for just the virtual conference by itself, or if you register for the in-person conference, your registration will also include access to the virtual conference.
How does the virtual conference work?
When you register for the conference, you will be need to register for a Whova account using the same email that you registered with. You can access the Whova conference via a desktop computer or through the mobile app. All sessions and conference events will take place through Whova.
Do I need any specific technology?
You should download Chrome to use as your browser to access the Whova website during the conference. You do not need a Zoom account.
When can I access the virtual conference?
The conference platform is available now and will be available until June 30, 2023. This means that once you register for the conference, you will be able to watch videos, connect with attendees, and view exhibitor booths from now until June.
How do I use Whova?
There are three main places to view once logged into Whova:
Agenda: This will show you all of the sessions and provide you access to the sessions the day of the conference via Zoom videos. Clicking on a session will allow you to see presenter information, the session abstract, and the video for the session.
Community: Here you will find discussion boards and opportunities to network with other attendees.
Exhibitors: Clicking on an exhibitor booth will provide you with more information about one of our ten exhibitors. Throughout the conference, there will be representatives at each booth along with contact information and more resources for you to find.
What is the structure of the 30-minute sessions?
For each 30-minute session, there will be a brief introduction of the presenter followed by everyone in the session watching the pre-recorded presentation (8-10 minutes long). After the recording, the rest of the session will be time for the speaker to facilitate discussion amongst the attendees. You can use the chat bar to the side to post questions to the speaker or other attendees.
What is speed networking?
Speed networking takes place on Saturday for 30 minutes. During this time, if you decide to participate, you will be randomly placed into a session with three other conference attendees. You and your group will have ten minutes to chat; when the ten minutes are up, rooms will be shuffled and you will then join a new room with three new attendees to get to meet. It's a great way to connect with other conference attendees!
What can I do in between sessions?
Throughout the conference, there are short breaks. During this time, we recommend the following:
- Visit one of our exhibitor booths to learn more
- Join the main stage, where worship music will be playing
- Start a virtual meet-up. You can start a virtual meetup and use the time to network with someone else at the conference.
- Answer one of the discussion forums to see who you might want to connect with during the conference
Who do I contact if I have a question?
Email us at [email protected]. Our team is checking this account regularly.