Lessons on Virtual SciComm Conferences 1 year later

Hey! Remember almost just over 1 year ago when we threw together a virtual conference in a matter of three weeks, excited about the possibilities while still grappling with the uncertainty of the future? And it went kind of...well? We sure do!

One year later we reflect on what we learned from Science Talk 2020 and also share some exciting resources on planning and attending virtual conferences, collected from science communication practitioners and blogs from around the country. 

SCIENCE TALK 2021 (A VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE VOL 2) IS MARCH 24-26. REGISTER NOW!

Looking back on a virtual scicomm conference

At first, a virtual conference seemed doomed to fail, knowing it could never replicate some of the most exciting parts of Science Talk like informal networking and Portland coffee. But, as Science Talk President Alli Coffin optimistically recalled last year, she was convinced (mainly by Dr. Kiki) that new technology could more accessibly instill "the excitement around scicomm, the exchange of ideas, the collaborations, and the community. Science Talk is the scicomm community and we are committed to bringing the community together..."

Afterwards, Science Talk leaders had time to reflect on the process and identify strategies that made virtual work and those that presented challenges and future opportunities. 

Over this past year, it's become clear that virtual conferences are a more accessible to many people and are economically and environmentally more sustainable. Still, access to and familiarity with the technology represents a major hurdle. We've tried to break that barrier by offering Monday test runs and a FAQ page to help participants gain practice with the technology. Many more improvements and opportunities to connect have been implemented as well. To check them out, make sure you register and tune in for Science Talk '21 on March 24-26 2021. ​

More virtual conferencing tools

Looking for more resources on virtual conferences? You should check out some of these other reflections, tips, and commentaries from all over the science and science communication world!

Tips for successful virtual workshops from AAAS

Opportunities and challenges of virtual meetings from AGU

How to make the most of a virtual conference in the Chronicle of Higher Education 

How to plan a successful virtual conference in The Conversation

Virtual conferences aren't as accessible as you may think in Scientific American

How to take advantage of online conferences in The Open Notebook

You can start to find commentaries and analysis of virtual conferences in these and other peer reviewed journals and other publications:

• Science (Virtual scientific conferences open doors to researchers around the world)
• Nature (Scientists want virtual meetings to stay after the COVID pandemic)
• elife (Virtual conferences raise standards for accessibility and interactions)
• PLOS (Unconferencing During a Pandemic: What One Science Educator Learned)