Conference Matters 144

TECHNOLOGY

Hybrid medical conferences are losing momentum

Shortly after COVID, interest in the hybrid format at conferences cooled down consi derably. Combining live and online seems like a logical option, especially in our inclusive and sustainable world. However, it is not picking up any speed.

conferences would at least include a live online programme, since associations were forced to switch to an entirely digital structure. A typical example Anouk Derks of Derks Events has experienced it before, both during and after COVID. Her agency organises medical conferences, training cour ses, refresher courses, and symposia for clients, both hybrid (live) and online. As a typical example, she uses a regional sym posium. Prior to COVID, the entire meeting took place in person, but during COVID, we had to broadcast it entirely via livestream from a studio. After COVID, we opted for the hybrid variant, which proved to be a success, resulting in addi tional participants from other regions. However, some of the local participants also opted for the online variant because it was easier to com

By Edwin Nunnink

“What has really changed is that speakers are no longer flown in from the other side of the ocean for a presen tation of half an hour or a whole hour,” says Pepijn Klerkx of Congress Care. “They give their presentation online, often live, with a recorded version as a backup. We used to think it was normal for someone to travel to the congress for such a short contribution.”

Adding a live digital platform to a conference allows more people to access the event’s content and community without having any additional travel and paper. Participating in an international conference online is particularly worthwhile for medical professionals from remote areas or countries with limited resources. It also makes the conference more accessible to students and young professionals. It seemed obvious that after the pandemic,

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