You should have an awesome virtual conference
That’s why we’re doing this.
And to fight climate change.
And to foster inclusion.
And to build communities.
And to promote belonging.
You don’t need to give up in-person conferences for all that.
By alternating each year between virtual and in-person, you can maximize the benefits of both.
What we offer
Research-based advice on your conference, event or meeting plans.
Customized designs for interactive networking and collaboration events.
Smooth event implementation, including training, live facilitation and support.
Detailed assessment of your event’s impact on attendees.
Powerful networking comes down to Activities, Platforms, and Social Norms.
Activity Structures
Design engaging ways for your conference participants to interact with each other. How can you utilize the virtual space in ways that surpass in-person conferencing? For example, “Where Do You Stand” asks people to discuss a topic by placing themselves on a scale or continuum before sharing.
Platforms
Choose a platform that supports the kinds of activities you wish to include in your event. Do you need people to be able to move themselves around? Do you want them to spontaneously create their own sized groupings? Some platforms excel in one-to-many presentations while others are good at small group interactions.
Social Norms
Consider the social challenges participants face virtually. Will they feel uncomfortable joining a small group already underway? Will they have trouble leaving a 1:1 conversation? By playfully introducing social norms or “event rules,” you can help participants feel comfortable interacting virtually at poster sessions (above), coffee breaks, networking events, or the like.
These three elements inform each other and work together: Certain activities will only be possible on platforms with particular affordances; and social norms will depend on both the activity and the chosen platform.
Your superpowers
You have more power than you think to improve virtual conferencing.
To learn more, click the button below that best describes your role.
Partners and Funders
Testimonials
“Thank you so much! We are so glad that you were involved in the workshop!”
—Sydney O’Connor, Chair of Future of Scientific Conferencing Workshop (2024)
“It has been an absolute pleasure to work with you. We very much admire the work you are doing to make conferencing cleaner, while helping orgs like us uphold high standards for engagement. We are so appreciative for your partnership.”
—Sarah Gonzalez-Coffin, 2024 Conference Co-Chair
“It was the best virtual conference I’ve ever been to—there was a lot of interactivity, and the smaller discussion groups made it easy to talk to people.”
—Soya Park, Post-doctoral researcher and inventor of Who2Chat
“Your pitch to alternate in person and virtual meetings is music to my ears. ”
—Sara Ackerman, Associate Professor, Social Behavioral Sciences
“Following a very successful conference, a big, heartfelt thank you for the incredibly helpful ideas and guidance you provided every step of the way! We couldn’t have done it without you, thank you so much for your time, dedication, and flexibility throughout the entire process. ”
—Nicole LaMarca, Project Manager
“You always ask provocative questions, suggest brilliant new ways of thinking about problems, and cheerfully iterate on ideas. Our work together has widened possibilities for online meet-ups and sparked new dreams for future projects.”
—Ryan Jenkins, Founder, Educator and Author
Recent presentations
We give presentations about virtual conferencing. Here’s a selection.
Virtual Engagement Activities & Tools
July 2025
Better Conferencing: Improving Practices
August 2024
Virtual Conferences, Human Connections
June 2025
Improving informal networking using platforms, activities and social norms
June 2024
Our presentation starts at 34:00 minutes.