When managing a science organization, gatherings that bring researchers, policy-makers, members, and other stakeholders together are often essential. Increasingly, these gatherings take place online.
Well-designed online conferences can expand access, reduce costs and emissions, and include voices often excluded from in-person events. Achieving this, however, requires time and expertise.
This guide draws on real examples from science organizations and presents a structured six-part process to support the design of online and hybrid conferences with clarity, equity, and impact in mind.
The goal of the tool is to help event organizers think practically about what it takes to deliver an engaging, inclusive online or hybrid conference.
It is organized into six sections:
Each section combines key insights and worksheets to help an organizing team make decisions. It can be worked through it from start to finish, or skipped directly to the section that matters most.
How to use it
The tool works equally well if there is one organizer, or a team. If working in a team, use the worksheets as prompts for discussion.
Planning your online conference
Options to use the document:
After completing the tool
Once the guide is completed, the event’s purpose, scope, and design will be clearly outlined.
Practical checklists and captured decisions are consolidated in one place, simplifying the process of briefing partners, vendors, or volunteers and supporting delivery of an online event that feels intentional and engaging.
Whether for a small specialist meeting or a large hybrid conference, this tool helps create experiences that go beyond a sequence of talks and slides. It supports building events that feel alive, inclusive, and worth attending.
For more guidance on building skills in digital tools and ways of working, please see Strengthening digital maturity: A practical toolkit for science organizations.
Funding acknowledgement: The toolkit was created following the experiences of eleven ISC Members who took part in the project, supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of IDRC or its Board of Governors.
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