Attendees

You have far more control over your conference experience than you may realize.

Take charge of your conference.

Set expectations

Block your schedule early, turn on your email responder, let others know you’re occupied, and silence your phone
Be fully present

Plan ahead—choose sessions, prioritize networking, add breaks—and give yourself permission to attend fully.
Find your people

Use digital tools to find people you know or want to know—even locating them at any given moment.
Network it your way

You can meet people in the moment, or interact with them asynchronously throughout the conference.
Vote with your feet

Your participation drives the system. Virtual conferences will continue improving only with your support.
Be a change agent

Tell conference organizers that you want to try virtual conferencing, at least every other year.

Attendees’ positive experiences

“I love the every other year virtual/in person rotation. It is such a good balance.”

“Plenty of chances to connect with others even though the conference was online.”

“The networking events were fun and productive. I need to prioritize them more.”

“I like how the virtual only takes up half my day--it acknowledges that I am still working and need to attend to stuff in the office.”

Attendees’ challenges

“It's a LOT different to co-present a poster session in virtual than it is in-person, just because it's hard to have ‘mini-conversations’ with different members of a team. Depends a lot more on turn-taking.”

“I still miss the aspects of in-person conferences that just can't be replicated online (e.g., running into someone in the hallway).”

“In person I could really focus on the conference and connecting directly with colleagues without all the regular day-to-day distractions of still being at work/home.”