In 2020 and 2021, the pandemic triggered many global software/IT conferences to shift to online or hybrid formats. As the world emerges from social distancing requirements, conference organizers face important questions. Will conferences need to retain a virtual component? ... or will conferences once again become primarily “in person” experiences?
Steven Fraser and Dennis Mancl put together a survey -- and received 331 responses. The survey questions probed the “favorite conference mode” (in-person, virtual, or hybrid) and asked the respondents about the obstacles for in-person and virtual conferences.
In 2023 and 2024, in-person conference were returning in force, so it was time to update the survey and learn how attitudes have changed. The new survey had 305 responses in 2024.
The following report is an early summary and analysis of the survey results: