IEEE Day 2020 🗓
IEEE Day is coming……
……It Will Just Look a Little Different This Year
It should come as no surprise that IEEE Day, the Annual celebration of the Beginnings of IEEE will look a little different this year. The lingering effects of the Covid-19 virus has temporarily eliminated face-to-face meetings to help members minimize contact outside their families and therefore hinder the spread of the virus. But not being able to get together to celebrate does not mean that celebrations are totally ruled out. We just have to get a little more creative.
IEEE Day will still be observed on the first Tuesday in October – October 6, 2020 this year – as in prior years (You didn’t cancel your birth day due to the virus so why should IEEE?)
Though there will not be a formal IEEE Day Ambassadors Program this year, there are still a number of ways Sections, Subsections, society chapters, student branches, and affinity groups can participate. Holding an IEEE Day Celebration virtually with invitations to other organizations in the area or companies can still make the IEEE Story known to non-members and reinforce it with members.
Events for IEEE Day can be technical presentations or discussions of how IEEE can help members get to the other side of the pandemic. Virtual events can be STEM oriented, PACE oriented, of historic significance, technical, or on any other interesting subject area. All events should be posted on the appropriate websites, be they chapter, section, or region sites. The more sites the better coverage. And activities should be posted to the IEEEDay.org website so that it will appear on the maps indicating activities.
Social Media should not be forgotten either, events can be promoted on Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Linkedin, Meetup, Instagram, YouTube, and other channels. Again, there is no restriction as to where information can be posted. And don’t forget traditional media either. Local papers are looking for interesting material with so many activities cancelled or deferred due to social spacing. Call into your favorite radio program and promote the IEEE story.
And don’t forget to like comment and share items posted by others.
The complete details on contests and other promotions for this year’s IEEE Day are still being worked out. In prior years there have been video contests, Milestone presentations, and free or discounted courses. Information on prior year’s activities is available on the IEEE Day website and can be used to spark planning activities. Even if there is not a formal contest, the activities can still be a strong magnet for participation. Many no-cost or low-cost online offerings were available to members during the week of IEEE Day.
IEEE Day has also been the time to get potential members to take that step and join. For the past decade a $30 discount off of the base membership fee had been offered during the ten days of IEEE celebrations. Though nothing has been announced, there is a strong possibility that this tradition will continue.
This is also a great time to reach out to members in arears and see if there is a surmountable obstacle to that reinstating that membership. There are discounts for persons with financial hardships or physical disabilities. Former students not yet appropriately employed also have options.
Now is the time for Organizational units to start planning to insure that IEEE Day does not become a victim of Covid-19.
Organizational units can contact Lee Stogner (l.stogner@ieee.org), R3 IEEE Day Regional Lead, with questions or for assistance. Or go direct to the IEEE Day web site at,