Livestream of In-Person Conference

Holding an in-person conference (regardless of the number of attendees) with a virtual component  

• Livestream can take many forms:
  • All conference sessions (including in-person paper presentations)
  • Keynotes and panels only
  • Any mixture of the Conference Organizers’ choice
• Conference might choose to tie in a live chat feature (such as Slack, Discord, and so on) to allow ‘real time’ questions and discussions, thus increasing virtual attendee engagement
• Pros of Livestream
  • All attendees (both virtual and in-person) can view and participate in the same live discussion and content
  • “Stepping stone” between full-virtual and in-person conference
• Cons of Livestream
  • High cost (potentially) – requires AV/livestream equipment, significant Wifi bandwidth at venue, both of which might incur high costs
  • Time zone differentiation – might not be able to reach all time zones efficiently with one livestream 

Asynchronous Virtual + In-Person Conference

• All paper presentations can be pre-recorded so both virtual and in-person audiences receive roughly the same presentations played at the same time through two different avenues
• Conference may tie in a live chat feature (such as Slack, Discord, and so on) to allow ‘real time’ questions and discussions and attendee engagement
• Virtual attendees can also post asynchronous questions that can be answered after the session and made available via the virtual platform or mobile app
• Pros of Asynchronous Conference
  • Allows those who are unable to travel (both presenters and attendees) to fully participate in the conference
  • Allows for the possibility of gaining a wider audience and/or attendees
  • Cost-effective – depending on virtual platform or mode of presentation dissemination
• Cons of Asynchronous Conference
  • Virtual Attendees could be missing out on important discussions, networking and/or information taking place at the in-person conference

Separate Virtual Track

Creating a separate track just for virtual attendees to disseminate Author Presentations

• Virtual Track can take many forms:
  • Pre- or post-conference posting of author presentations
  • Post-conference posting of any keynotes or panel discussions
  • Post-conference presentation posting with extended virtual chat hours for authors
  • Live virtual Q&A track after in-person presentations

• Pros
  • Allows virtual attendees to access content at their own time and pace
  • Allows for the possibility of gaining a wider audience and/or attendees
  • Cost-effective – minimal overhead outside of virtual platform and/or any recording costs
• Cons
  • Virtual Attendees could be missing out on important discussions, networking and/or information happening in the in-person conference

Virtual Conference with International Micro-Events

Hosting a fully virtual meeting with localized micro-events that allow attendees to safely gather in their specific regions according to their local or CDC/WHO health guidelines.

• Micro-Events can take place in many forms (based on time zones)
  • Viewing parties for virtual components
  • Some presenters giving their presentations from a micro-event
  • Networking opportunities to view conference keynotes or other elements from the conference with discussions recorded and placed on website
• Pros
  • Allows for less international and more localized regional travel for certain attendees
  • Allows for safe in-person meeting in accordance with local health agency/CDC/WHO guidelines
  • Allows for discussions of conference material and/or networking opportunities
  • Not all attendees required to take part in Micro-Events – still allows a full ‘virtual’ experience
• Cons
  • Can be logistically cumbersome if there are numerous micro-events for the conference (contracts, designating local chairs for each event, etc.)
  • Can be cost-prohibitive if the conference is paying for the micro-events (expenses for venues, F&B, AV, etc)

Sponsorships and Exhibits for Hybrid Conferences

On-site Presence: 

Sponsorships/Supporters: 

• • Company logo on printed collateral at the conference venue 

Exhibitors: 

• • If the exhibitor package purchased allows for, provide 6’ table or exhibit space for onsite presence. 

Virtual Presence: 

Sponsorships/Supporters

• • Company logo on conference website and virtual platform 
  • Posting of company collateral on virtual platform via dedicated page 

Virtual Exhibits:

• • Dedicated time slots for virtual attendees 
  • Online gamification for virtual attendee engagement (virtual platform needed for this activity)
  • Provide virtual attendee and exhibitor interaction within the platform (ability to set up group meetings; one-on-one meetings; meetups, etc.) 
  • Incorporate exhibitors into the conference program; allow for special exhibitor presentations during designated timeslots 
  • Allow for 15 or 30 second commercials to be played prior to keynote or panel presentations 
  • Company logo on conference website and virtual platform via a dedicated page  
  • Posting of company collateral on virtual platform 

Hybrid Conference Registration Rates

Regardless of the format in which a hybrid conference takes place, conference registration rates will still need to be charged for all attendees – both in-person and virtual. 

• Full Conference Registration is recommended for in-person attendees regardless of virtual/hybrid components
• Livestream Conferences 
  • The same pricing for in-person and virtual attendees (or marginally less for virtual attendees) is recommended based on costs for AV/live stream components
• Asynchronous Virtual and In-Person Conference
  • It’s recommended that organizers charge a fee that is 50-70% of the in-person conference registration fee in order to cover all costs associated with a hybrid conference
  • Both in-person and virtual attendees should receive access to content for a limited time (2-4 weeks) post-conference
• Virtual Track 
  • Nominal Fee ($25-$50) recommended for full virtual sessions
  • This fee covers any registration software or virtual platform pass through costs as well as ensure engaged participants
  • Virtual attendees would receive access for a limited time (2-4 weeks)

Given that “hybrid” conferences are still a newer concept to the IEEE CS mode of operation, we will continue to update this document with further recommendations and learnings as our organizers share them.

Additional Resources: 

• PC Nametag: Room Set up Examples
• CDC: Event Planning and COVID-19: Questions and Answers 
• How to Create Seriously Impressive Hybrid Events: splash