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I think they are great if it’s about 40% talk and 60% socialize. The point of talks should be to stimulate a conversation that happens in the hallway. If it’s just one way content absorption, that could’ve been done remotely. 
I desperately miss the networking and socializing and the people I met and the interesting conversations that I could not have planned for. I hope eventually my company starts sending us again.
I'm a fan! I don't necessarily learn more than I would watching and reading at home. The main value for me is socializing and networking. Also I usually learn about some things I wouldn't have sought out myself, but which are often interesting.
We have a big conference every year where I live for the tech industry. It's hit or miss depending on the person presenting, and it's usually a miss. Many talks can last over an hour when they could've been a much shorter youtube video and are just there to pad time. Also 95% of the people are there for other motives. Looking for investors, trying to get hired, browsing the booths, etc. Despite being very crowded it's very clear most of the people don't actually care about the talks and do anything else on their phones.
I think in-person conferences can be great experiences when done right but I really got anything out of it. For all the talks about networking with others they give very little opportunities to do that. When everyone is looking for opportunities from other people it felt almost like a competition to try and talk with companies and important people, and it usually boils down to them asking for my contact info so they can flush it down the toilet. I don't know, I just have a bad experience with them.
What would your optimal conference (or conference experience) look like?
As someone that works in the events industry.
Conferences are about the networking and social aspects.
This is not achievable through virtual or prerecorded aspects.
I've done gigs where a few CEOs zoom/teams/whatever in to show face.
I've done gigs where it's all in 1 location with only people in the room.
I've done gigs where it's people in the room, but some satellite venues that "dial in" (even done a few of the satellite venues).
I've done gigs with CSuites at multiple locations, and each site takes turns presenting some part of the conference.
Honestly, all of this can be done via zoom or some other platform to much the same effect.
What you can't get is the face-to-face time, incidental conversations, random introductions, and drunken conversations that happen over lunch, coffee, bar and dinner events.
And I see this in "happier" clients. TBH, the good clients. The ones that have interesting presentations and engaged audiences are also the ones who benefit most from these extra social interactions.
The gigs where it's some death-by-powerpoint should have just been a zoom meeting, or dare I say just an email or 2.
So, I'd say it's how invested you are in the topic.
If it's something you care about (or affects you directly): go in-person. You will get more from the event than is what is on the schedule.
If it's something you have to go to, save the planet: watch it online (or whatever is the minimum mandated by your company). You aren't going to benefit from the social aspects, leave that to you manager.
I am seeing the trend of team leaders and key people attending conferences, with many others watching virtually (like a 1:4 ratio).
Thank you for the insight. Have you organized or been to a conference that used 3D virtual spaces? Like Mozilla Hubs or something similar?
If so, what was your impression of it?
If not, do you think they might be useful?
I am seeing the trend of team leaders and key people attending conferences, with many others watching virtually (like a 1:4 ratio).
Is this a recent trend started by COVID?
It is a recent trend after COVID.
Before COVID, having virtual participants or presentations, even live streams were a luxury item.
There was one client I worked with that was an early adopter of zoom pre-pandemic, and they did a lot of multi-venue stuff with presentations happening in all venues, calling out to remote office boardrooms for presentations from that region, stuff like that.
It was charged at a premium (because it was unknown tech, so needed a lot of supplimentary technicians and equipment to mitigate the unknown risks, as well as get the virtual aspects to the same level of production as the in-person aspects).
Some of the more important presenters would have technicians with a bunch of studio/streaming kit sent to their location to make it feel fancier for the presenter.
I'm sure the client saved more on flights and hotels than the extra cost of the virtual aspects of the events. But it was a premium item that not everyone could afford, or was internally set up for.
Post pandemic, live streaming is expected, it's pretty much a standard option tbh. Every company has their own internal platform (even if it's just Facebook pro or whatever it's called) and all event companies have a multi purpose platform if the client wants something different.
Virtual participants are done with a single laptop and no backups (unless it's a very high level event), expectations from virtual interactions are lower (before, there would have to be analysis of any dropped frames, bitrate drops, stutters etc), presenters are much more comfortable handling their own tech (some even dial in dangerously close to their time slot, making the techs sweat) and 50-75% of the conferences I do now have virtual presenters.
It's certainly a lot cheaper, as the tech is now known, it's capabilities proven during lockdown, and the systems and skills to use it were developed as a standard skillset of techs.
No, I haven't used any 3d virtual things.
The fanciest I did was a zoom-room to audience wall, but it all got composited into a standard stream.
50-75% of the conferences I do now have virtual presenters
That's surprising. I must looking at the wrong conferences or not finding the option on the conference pages. But I'm happy that you're reporting that trend in your conferences.
Thank you for the insights. Always difficult as an outsider to know what's going on behind the scenes.
Maybe it's just that I do more corporate conferences instead of exhibition or symposium type conferences.
I think companies that have adapted for COVID are a lot more set up for virtual participation at their conferences.
Whereas, a symposium kinda thing where delegates buy tickets expect presentations to be in-person. Which makes sense, it's what they are paying for. otherwise they could've saved money and just watched the stream/VODs
I wanna go to one so bad! But they never happen in my city..
