When international academic conferences go virtual

Abstract

This study investigates the extent to which international academic conferences changes format to virtual when faced by sudden Covid-19 related immobility. Data on 587 conferences in the fields of business, economics, information technology, management and other social sciences that were planned to be held between March and August 2020 are retrieved from authorised conference listings. Approximately 28% of the conferences changed to virtual format during the period of time studied. Probit estimations reveal that the probability of changing format to virtual increases with the country of location (United States), planning horizon and the available quality of broadband infrastructure in the scheduled conference country. However, the role of planning horizon differs across fields and location of the conference. The probability of virtual conferences is highest in the United States and for academic conferences in the field of information technology.

Moving conferences online: lessons learned from an international virtual meeting

“…During 2020-2021 some meetings proceeded on their original timetable yet switched to fully virtual or allowed virtual attendance (online-accessible) [1]. Benefits of virtual conferences can include greater inclusivity, reduced carbon footprint and a digital archive [2][3][4][5][6], while challenges include fewer networking opportunities and reduced social interaction [7,8].…”

The future of scientific conferences in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic: Critical analysis and future perspectives

“…Another aspect that the organizers of online conferences should not overlook is the accommodation of different time zones 5 ) , which in many cases can be a weak point in the event realization. Attention should also be paid to another aspect that, if neglected, could become an obstacle: the digital divide.…”

“…The global spread of COVID-19 pandemic forced the scientific community to identify new ways of exchanging and transferring the scientific knowledge, also considering that the measures taken to combat the pandemic, such as travel restrictions, closed borders and gathering bans, led to cancellations of many conferences, meetings and workshops 5 ) .…”

How to Organize a Photocatalysis Conference Online (on a Budget)

“…However, when faced with the ongoing Covid-19 crisis in Europe and Germany in the early planning stage of the conference, we decided to move the format from completely on-site to fully online. This move was not unprecedented, as several entirely online conferences already existed [2], established on-site conferences switched to an online format [3][4][5], or novel online formats emerged [6,7]. Advantages of online conferences are numerous and have recently been summarized by Roos et al [2], and include low costs, as no venue or catering has to be organized, environmental friendliness, with onsite conferences producing considerably more carbon dioxide and waste than online ones due to long-distance travelling [8][9][10][11], and time efficacy, as participants may join or opt-out from any talk they would like to listen or not listen to at a whim and can concentrate, e.g., on child care.…”