Is the virtual medical conference here to stay?
The crowded world of medical conferences was already ripe for change when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Conference organizers responded quickly, rapidly accelerating their virtual conference offerings to service the scientific needs of the medical community and mitigate economic losses. But having made such a big shift from face-to-face events to predominantly online, has the change been a success? What lessons have been learned? And what will happen next for the medical events sector?
We put these questions and more to 4 medical communications experts with conference experience. They revealed their views on the key issues impacting organizers, speakers and attendees of the new style digital conference—and gave their insight on how the sector could evolve over the coming months.
- Remember the old normal? What were the key drivers and pros and cons of attending traditional face-to-face conferences? What barriers existed which prevented some from attending? And which of the major events in the medical conference calendar have gone virtual?
- The tech perspective: What new conferencing technologies have evolved and what is working? What new opportunities have emerged from the digital approach and how do these benefit event organizers and attendees?
- What has going virtual taught us? What should be learned from the first few months of 100% virtual events and what positives should be taken forward? What could a future ‘hybrid’ conference look like?
- What does the future of medical conferencing look like? Find out what the experts think about how the fast track to digital events and meetings will change medical sector interactions for the long term.
