The future of conferences

Abstract

The need for change One of the many great things about being a developmental biologist is our strong sense of community. Conferences of all shapes and sizes reinforce these bonds between us and yet, even before the pandemic, scientists were becoming increasingly reluctant to travel to conferences due to concerns about climate change:'Don't think I will travel to conferences as delegate again. Cutting down as speaker a lot.'Prof. Michael Stumpf (@theosysbio). Twitter; December 2019.Younger scientists in particular expressed concerns about the environmental impact of their travel, but also worried about how not travelling might affect their career:'I know many senior scientists who are reducing attendance, but for someone like me without that recognition, how do I get my name out there without physically attending? Would love other options!' Dr Louise Stephen (@ciliaNcilia). Twitter; December 2019.Concerns about the changing climate were not the only problem. Traditional conference models also tend to exclude people with caring duties and those who can't travel due to lack of funding or difficulties obtaining visas (Sarabipour, 2020;Sarabipour et al., 2021). As we approached 2020, it became increasingly clear that things needed to change.Then came the pandemic. We got used to connecting with people, sharing and discussing data, and even socialising and networking, all through a computer screen. For many people, the online format has brought benefits even beyond the improvements in sustainability and accessibility:'For the first time, I actually mustered up the courage to ask a question in a talk at ISSCR! The chat is helpful for introverts like me.'

Fisheries Volume 47 Number 7 July 2022

“…We understand that virtual conferences are not the same experience as in-person events. But, that ' s also the point we wish to make; that these are not lesser, but alternative experiences that can also offer new and even exciting opportunities for engagement as well as being accessible to a broader audience (Vervoort et al 2021 ;Lowell et al 2022 ). We hope that AFS leaders and members will decide to embrace and fully explore the potential of virtual conferences as a more accessible practice that can improve equity and inclusion as well as accelerate use of science to better serve society.…”

“…Since 2020, pandemic conferencing has demonstrated the power of virtual conferencing to make these experiences, and potential benefi ts, available to large swathes of the scientifi c community that were previously excluded (Sarabipour 2020 ;Niner and Wassermann 2021 ;Skiles et al 2022 ). Furthermore, virtual and hybrid conferences are still in their infancy, and are likely to be improved upon over time (Lowell et al 2022 ). Our goal as scientists should be to continue to maximize quality, participation, and inclusion in these events moving into the future.…”

“…These examples alone demonstrate the strong pull toward legacy formats that societies may experience in considering how to structure future conferences. However, while conference organizers face uncertainty with respect to balancing access with quality and corresponding value to participants through various formats and features, many of these uncertainties can be resolved over time through experimentation, evaluation, and adaptation (Lowell et al 2022 ). We also want to point out that while not all scientists are in a position to implement these kinds of changes, scientists at any career stage or position can advocate for these through their spheres of infl uence (e.g., social media) or society engagement (e.g., voting for society leaders).…”

How Shall We Meet? Embracing the Opportunities of Virtual Conferencing

“…Since 2020, pandemic conferencing has demonstrated the power of virtual conferencing to make these experiences, and potential benefits, available to large swathes of the scientific community that were previously excluded (Sarabipour 2020; Niner and Wassermann 2021; Skiles et al 2022). Furthermore, virtual and hybrid conferences are still in their infancy, and are likely to be improved upon over time (Lowell et al 2022). Our goal as scientists should be to continue to maximize quality, participation, and inclusion in these events moving into the future.…”

“…We understand that virtual conferences are not the same experience as in‐person events. But, that's also the point we wish to make; that these are not lesser, but alternative experiences that can also offer new and even exciting opportunities for engagement as well as being accessible to a broader audience (Vervoort et al 2021; Lowell et al 2022). We hope that AFS leaders and members will decide to embrace and fully explore the potential of virtual conferences as a more accessible practice that can improve equity and inclusion as well as accelerate use of science to better serve society.…”