The Pros and Cons of in-person vs virtual conferences and events
Academic talks in the "post-COVID" world
While in my experience in-person events are still more common and popular, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the rise of virtual conferences and talks. In this blog post, I'll shed light on the pros and cons of both in-person and virtual conferences and talks, helping you make informed decisions about your academic participation.
In-person events: Nothing beats face-to-face…right?
In-person conferences have long been a cornerstone of academic discussion and training. They provide a platform for networking, presenting research, and exchanging ideas. Here are some advantages and considerations:
Face-to-Face Interactions: In-person conferences offer unparalleled opportunities for face-to-face interactions. You can meet the world experts in a field, forge new collaborations, and engage in spontaneous discussions over coffee breaks or poster sessions. The potential for spontaneity and ease of interactions are the key benefit here (see also below).
Immersive Experience: Attending an in-person conference allows you to be more engaged. Presenting your research in front of a live audience and receiving instant feedback can be invaluable for refining your work and honing your presentation skills. Personally, I also find I get more enthusiastic about listening to in-person research talks!
Travel to locations: Attending conferences also means that you actually get to be there and enjoy the location. While this does mean you have to organise travel (see below), it also allows you to enjoy the local area before and after the conference. For example, in the second year of my PhD I attended the International Bladder Cancer Network Conference in Barcelona. While the conference itself was an incredible experience, it was also a great perk to be able to visit the city of Barcelona itself.
Networking and Spontaneous Encounters: It’s not controversial to say that networking is much easier at in-person events, for a multitude of reasons. Personally, I find going up to talk to strangers much less awkward in-person than online. People also typically tend to be more open to this “chance” networking face-to-face. At in-person conferences you can often speak to people in the breaks between sessions, whereas for online conferences many people tend to just leave their computer during the session breaks.
Travel and Financial Considerations: However, it's important to note that attending in-person conferences can be financially tricky, especially for students with limited funding. Travel costs, conference registration fees, and accommodation expenses should be taken into account when deciding on participation. The process of organising this (especially travelling abroad) can also be complex and time-consuming.
This can seem obvious, but “international” (especially in the U.S.) conferences tend to be more expensive, not just because of the travel costs but also because they typically have more expensive registration fees. If you want to learn more about how to source grants to attend conferences, check out my post about that!
Virtual events: Increased flexibility, but sometimes at the cost of engagement
The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a shift towards virtual conferences, enabling academic discourse to continue in “the new normal”. Here are some advantages and considerations of virtual conferences and talks:
Accessibility and Affordability: Virtual conferences offer increased accessibility, breaking down geographical, financial, and other barriers. You can participate from the comfort of your home, reducing travel expenses and enabling wider participation. This accessibility allows for diverse perspectives and inclusivity within the academic community that might otherwise be lost from the discussion. This could include those unable to travel for health reasons, or those with childcare responsibilities.
Flexibility and Time Management: Virtual conferences offer greater flexibility in scheduling. You can choose which sessions to attend, watch recorded presentations at your convenience, and engage in discussions asynchronously. Some very large conferences run multiple sessions in parallel, and so the recording of talks allows you to watch those that you might have otherwise missed. Finally, the ability to fit a conference around your work schedule can potentially allow more people to attend, who would have otherwise had to take several days away from work.
Reduced Environmental Impact: This is a huge benefit of virtual conferences, as almost all high-level international conferences require travel by aeroplane. Sebastian Jackle estimated in 2022 that even just a single conference can have a carbon footprint of more than 2000 tons of greenhouse gases. For reference, this is about as much as 270 UK citizens produce in a year. From always-on incubators, -80oC freezers and disposable plastic, anyone who works in a research lab knows that science doesn’t always feel environmentally friendly. By cutting down on air travel and its associated emissions, virtual formats can lead to a more eco-friendly approach to academic gatherings.
“My estimations show that the travel-induced carbon footprint of a single conference can amount to more than 2000 tons of greenhouse gases—as much as approximately 270 UK citizens emit in a whole year.”
Engagement and Attention Span: The virtual environment poses challenges in terms of maintaining engagement and attention span during long sessions. It requires discipline to actively participate, avoid distractions, and make the most of the virtual conference experience. This can be a problem at in-person conferences (who among us hasn’t sat at the back of a talk and looked at all the people answering emails or writing papers or grant proposals on their laptops), but this is much harder for virtual events. When you’re behind a screen and no-one is watching you pay attention, it’s much easier to be tempted to check your phone or multi-task alongside watching the talk.
Afterword: The rise of “hybrid” events
In the post-lockdown world many conferences and regular department talks have started to move back to in-person. However, given the points considered above, I don’t think we should completely abandon the virtual approach either. It is positive to see that many conference organisers are now offering “hybrid” options. This potentially allows for the best of both worlds. I know that personally I would be much more excited about attending a conference in-person, but not everyone has the budget or time to be able to travel to a conference and potentially commit several days. During my PhD, I’ve seen several colleagues turn-down in-person only conferences because the travel was extremely difficult, or because they couldn’t arrange childcare. Hybrid options increase accessibility greatly, and so as an academic community we should continue to embrace them going forwards!