As was the case with most in-person conventions taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic, HLAA 2020 was reimagined as a virtual event. To bring information to people living with hearing loss, HLAA hosted Experience HLAA! on June 18 and 19, our first virtual event, unlike anything HLAA has ever done. Our founder, Rocky Stone, would be proud. The event featured two days of informational and educational webinars on subjects ranging from regenerative medicine and workplace advocacy for those with hearing loss to tinnitus as part of the annual Research Symposium.
In 2020, HLAA also took its exhibit hall online as well, showcasing sponsor websites along with a well-rounded rotating lineup of sponsor ads which were educational and inspiring.
In fact, HLAA saw its highest average of attendees on day one with nearly 800 people tuned in. Around 2,400 combined registered for the event and another interesting statistic—83 percent of attendees viewed the convention on a desktop PC or laptop.
Statistics taken from HLAA’s post-2020 virtual convention evaluation revealed that 400 attendees attended the live Research Symposium on tinnitus. The reaction to the symposium was very good, with many stating they gained insight on the subject matter and enjoyed the presentation along with the Q&A.
Experience HLAA! Opening Session
Presenters:
Barbara Kelley
Executive Director, Hearing Loss Association of America
Rob Engelke
President and CapTel Inventor
David Owen
Author, Volume Control: Hearing in a Deafening World
Brandon Sawalich
Chair, Board of Directors, Hearing Industries Association Summary: Opening remarks to start off the Experience HLAA Convention.
Video Recording
The Potential for Regenerative Medicine to Restore Hearing Loss
Presenters:
Carl LeBel
Ph.D., Chief Development Officer, Frequency Therapeutics
Justin Golub
M.D., Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology, Columbia University
Christina Runge
Ph.D., Professor of Otolaryngology & Communication Sciences, Medical College of Wisconsin
Moderator: Carrie Nieman
M.D., HLAA Board member, Johns Hopkins Medicine
Video Recordings
Workplace Gain: A Discussion on Self-Advocacy, Marketing and Navigating the Workplace with Hearing Loss
Presenters:
Greg Pollock
Accessibility Officer, PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
Theodore Shomsky
Business Systems Analyst, PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
Elizabeth Tsukimura
Program Manager, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, The Boeing Company
Moderator: Kelly Tremblay
Ph.D., HLAA Board member
Video Recordings
Research Symposium: The Latest on Tinnitus Research
Sponsored by
Presenters:
Lynn Henselman
Ph.D., U.S. Army (Retired), Senior Health Care Consultant, Pharos Group Incorporated
Colleen G. Le Prell
Au.D., Professor of Audiology, University of Texas at Dallas
Richard S. Tyler
Ph.D., Professor of Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
Moderator: Kelly Tremblay
Ph.D., HLAA Board member, Research Symposium Program Committee