NAAEE is going virtual this year, so fire up your computer and get ready to join us!

We’ve done two short member surveys to measure interest in virtual gatherings; in both cases, more than 75 percent of respondents favored alternating between in-person and virtual conferences. And there are great reasons to get excited about the opportunities this presents.

At their core, virtual conferences are more environmentally friendly than in-person events, significantly reducing carbon emissions and resource use. They’re also less expensive, allowing participation from people who are otherwise unable to join us due to travel time and costs. You can attend from the comfort of your home or office, maybe even in your jammies!

Right now, while the call for presentations is open—the submission deadline is May 5—it’s especially important to think about the increased access to content afforded by virtual conferences. Not only can folks participate in real time, but sessions are recorded and made available on demand during and for months after. If the timing of a particular session doesn’t suit you, you can watch it later when it’s more convenient. We’ll be sharing all sessions from the research symposium and conference, reflecting some of the most effective and creative programs around the world!

With virtual sessions, many barriers to participation are removed or reduced. It can be easier to bring in the diverse voices of all those in our field. With prerecording options, shorter time commitments, lower costs, closed captioning, translations, and more, we can better welcome wider and more representative participation, collaborate with distant colleagues, and connect attendees with similar interests. 

It can be hard to create the great spur-of-the-moment discussions that happen in the hallways of an in-person gathering, so we’re also working hard to build in that kind of rich exchange. We’re thinking about discussion groups, watch parties, chat rooms, networking breaks, and other ways of stirring engagement and connection. If you have an especially effective technique to share, we’d love to hear your ideas! Please email conference@naaee.org.

As you prepare to submit your proposals before the May 5 deadline, we hope you’re thinking about these and all the other possibilities that our virtual events enable!

Learn more and submit: https://conference.naaee.org/