What the future holds for online conferences

The new situation caused by the coronavirus is referred to as a black swan. In psychology, this term is used when an event throws the world or a particular sector of the economy out of its usual mode, causing it to completely reorganize. It was the global pandemic, as it were, that forced most of society to shift to an online mode - school classes conducted in the form of e-learning, home-office, operatives in remote form, and even business training conducted in the form of webinars. It's clear that the world was already familiar with these solutions, but it's only this new reality that has caused humanity to shift almost completely to remote operation. This is a major breakthrough, a big change that - due to simple ignorance - could make many of us dizzy. Fortunately, many online training courses have been organized to familiarize people with the new solutions and show them how convenient they are.

Every year, all over the world, there were plenty of conferences: scientific, literary, related to the general HR or IT industry. Such events were extremely popular; after all, attending conferences is a great opportunity to meet inspiring people or engage in interesting discussions. This year thwarted the plans of many organizers of large conferences. However, you didn't have to wait long for a new solution, which is online conferences.

Last month the 11th edition of EKO CHALLENGE took place - a fully remote conference, organized so that anyone from the back of their own home could take an active or passive part in it.

Was it successful? Of course! There was time for experts to speak, interesting presentations, and there was also time to ask questions. This required a different kind of logistics, but nothing difficult for the willing.

So what are the advantages of organizing an online conference?

1. It's cheaper!
   The price of renting a conference room, catering, sound system, transportation are among the many fees to be considered when organizing a large conference.
   Such a remote event, of course, generates its own costs, after all, the help of IT specialists or the presence of a speaker will be necessary. However, many items without which an ordinary conference could not take place simply drop out, thus relieving the budget.
2. That's EKO!
   This point certainly bodes well for the future of online conferences. More and more of us are realizing the importance of taking care of the planet. Therefore, any solution that has at least some positive impact on the environment will be "YES".
   Because of the access to the broadcast from the comfort of your home, you don't have to worry about getting there. Assuming that more than half of the conference participants would arrive at the venue by car, we can imagine what amount of exhaust fumes would rise into the air. By leveling this cause, we make a nod to Mother Nature.
3. It's convenient!
   Living in Krakow, we can't always afford to travel to Gdansk for several days, even though a particular conference seems extremely interesting. This limitation disappears with the advent of online conferences. The only conditions that need to be met are prior registration, access to the Internet and a device from which such a broadcast can be watched. Nowadays, these are trivial matters for most Poles.

As you can see, the issue of online conferences seems not only interesting, but also rich in positives. A conference is, according to the definition, a meeting organized to discuss, solve problems and consult. Therefore, it carries the opportunity for development, exchange of factual information. Today, you don't have to give them up, nay, you don't even have to leave home to participate.

The year 2020 is undeniably a year of great change. The question then arises, will online conferences completely supplant those held in the old way? I think not, because people need face-to-face interaction. However, online conferences are an extremely convenient and good substitute that could become a permanent fixture on the calendars of big event organizers.