While towards the back end of 2021 conferences began to be held in person again, for most of the Covid period they have been distinctly virtual affairs.  Research from the University of Texas explores what impact this transition had, both on the experiences of attendees and on areas such as the environmental footprint of the events themselves.

The researchers assessed numerous science conferences that were held virtually during the initial months of the pandemic.  The researchers focused specifically on the environmental, social, and economic costs of virtual conferences in comparison to physical conferences.

Lower costs

The results showed that virtual events significantly reduced the time and cost commitments associated with in-person events, with these costs often holding back the events from attracting a more diverse range of attendees.  The fact that people weren’t traveling in en-masse also had significant environmental benefits.

“When we went virtual, it brought a lot more voices to the table that just weren’t able to be there for in-person events because of cost, time and other reasons,” the researchers say.

For instance, the authors highlight how attending a conference for scientists from Africa would often cost up to 80% of their annual salary, which compares to just 3% for American participants.  Physical events also require a significant investment of time, both in terms of travel to the event and the event itself.

This can be particularly challenging for women, with taking large chunks of time away for a conference especially difficult.  As such, the researchers found that female attendance at virtual conferences was up by around 250% compared to in-person conferences.

Climate impact

Virtual conferences also made a big impact in terms of climate change.  Indeed, the researchers calculated that a single attendance at an in-person event generated the same climate impact as attending 7,000 virtual events.

The reduction in travel requirements also means that a more international delegation can attend the event as cost and travel requirements are no longer a factor.

There are, of course, some challenges presented by virtual conferences.  For instance, networking opportunities are generally fewer, and delegates complain of a lack of real engagement.  Indeed, the majority of delegates reported that they preferred networking in person, with virtual sessions feeling inauthentic.

As with the rest of the economy, the researchers believe that the future is likely to contain a mixture of in-person and virtual events, or potentially even a hybrid of the two at the same time.

“Tech companies are already doing this with their events,” they conclude. “Smart people will hybridize their events at least to some extent.”