May 2015, Birmingham, UK

Wouldn’t it be great to attend a convention without leaving home? That’s exactly what some SA members around the world discovered when the EMER Convention in Birmingham, UK, was live-streamed on the Internet. More than 20 people are believed to have listened online, and numerous expressions of thanks and even delight were received. Some attendees enjoyed listening in whilst taking a break in their hotel rooms.

Following is feedback from some of our members who participated.

• Listening to the live streaming made me feel as if I were there at the convention with my fellow sexaholics. I felt a part of the fellowship of recovery even though I was more than 4,000 miles (6,000 kilometers) away. I had a sense of comfort and safety, knowing that I was part of a worldwide fellowship.

• As usual, I was envious that my beloved fellows could share, see, and catch up with each other at every face-to-face meeting they attend, to foster their recovery and empower their spirits. Then I received the amazing news: I would be able to listen to the convention minute by minute! The voices on the live streaming were clear and uninterrupted. Thanks for all who cared to share the SA convention with us.

• I could not attend the convention due to the birth of my daughter. However, I was so grateful that I could listen to the live stream of the speaker meetings. I forwarded the link to as many fellows as possible. During the convention I felt very connected to the fellowship while listening to several meetings a day, even with my newborn child on my lap! What a gift!

• Being able to attend the convention on live-stream was the next best thing to being there. I was not able to attend in person, so the ability to be connected to the fellowship via live streaming was a perfect alternative. The sound quality was perfect—I really felt that I was sitting there with my SA friends in one room. The spirit of recovery, joy, and love could not have come across any better. The only thing that would have topped it would be to have been there.

• At one point during the convention, I went to have a rest in my hotel room. Then I remembered that the open meetings were all being streamed on the Internet. This allowed me to listen to the current session and have a rest at the same time.

• The technical portion was fairly simple. The convention venue had an Internet connection that each of us could connect to. We found an SA member who was kind enough to lend his computer for the duration of the convention. We then went to a local electronics shop and bought a good quality microphone, which we connected to the computer. We subscribed to an Internet radio service that offered a free account, and then it was simple to connect everything together. After a few tests, we were ready to go!