Distributed Conferencing

AI Quick Summary

We want to explore organizational and technical measures such that scientific conferences can run “distributed” worldwide. The goal is to reduce CO2 emissions due to (long-distance) flights of researchers. The core idea is to host the conference simultaneously at various locations (e.g. 1-2 per continent). We want to explore how a scientific conference can be held “distributed” worldwide. The core idea is to host the conference at various locations (e.g., 1-2 per continent) so that participants don’t have to travel too long distances but can meet and network with other participants at the same location. For instance, the annual "ACL Conference" for Computational Linguists is typically visited by approx 1500-2000 researchers. This year, it will take place in Bankok (Thailand), and we estimate that more than half of the participants will come from Europe or America, traveling more than 10'000 km each. And there are literally hundres of similar-sized conferences in many other fields of research. We are aware that researchers "have" to go to the large/important scientific conferences, for publishing, networking, and visibility. But maybe we can "distribute" these large conference among different locations, without taking away the their main benefits. Challenges: One core focus of this project will be on how to design and set up a technical infrastructure for video and audio recordings/streaming that allows for a “natural” interaction between a speaker and the distributed audience. Other challenges that we have to tackle within the project: Different time zones at various locations worldwideHuge effort + cost for infrastructure setup and maintenancePotentially incompatible technical infrastructureLarger financial and organizational efforts for conference organizersImplementation PlanResearch whether distributed conferences already exist and how they are organizedResearch potential venues for distributed conferences (hotels, universities, convention centers, etc.)Evaluate which technical infrastructure would be useful/necessary/available and at what priceSurvey among researchers about their attitude towards distributed conferencesSample concept for a large-scale international conference (e.g., ACL with 2000 participanBenefitsIf we can find a reasonable (low-cost, easy-to-use, etc.) way to set up and organize a distributed conference, we expect that they will become more and more common in the future since they provide several benefits to different stakeholders: Researchers: save travel time and budget, networking more focussed on “local” peers (hence higher probability for joint follow-up projects)Environment: reduced CO2 emissionUniversities: reduced travel expensesDeveloping Countries: chance to be present at top conferences due to lower travel costs If we could for a conference replace the long-distance flights of half of the participants by inner-continental fligts (or even train rides), this would in the case of the ACL conference (see above) avoid in 400 long-distance flights...every year.

Project Idea Metadata

Project Idea Name: Distributed Conferencing
Date: 8/13/2024 9:59:07 PM
Administrators:

Project Idea Description

We want to explore how a scientific conference can be held “distributed” worldwide. The core idea is to host the conference at various locations (e.g., 1-2 per continent) so that participants don’t have to travel too long distances but can meet and network with other participants at the same location.

For instance, the annual "ACL Conference" for Computational Linguists is typically visited by approx 1500-2000 researchers. This year, it will take place in Bankok (Thailand), and we estimate that more than half of the participants will come from Europe or America, traveling more than 10'000 km each. And there are literally hundres of similar-sized conferences in many other fields of research.

We are aware that researchers "have" to go to the large/important scientific conferences, for publishing, networking, and visibility. But maybe we can "distribute" these large conference among different locations, without taking away the their main benefits.

Challenges:

One core focus of this project will be on how to design and set up a technical infrastructure for video and audio recordings/streaming that allows for a “natural” interaction between a speaker and the distributed audience.

Other challenges that we have to tackle within the project:

Different time zones at various locations worldwide
Huge effort + cost for infrastructure setup and maintenance
Potentially incompatible technical infrastructure
Larger financial and organizational efforts for conference organizers

Implementation Plan

Research whether distributed conferences already exist and how they are organized
Research potential venues for distributed conferences (hotels, universities, convention centers, etc.)
Evaluate which technical infrastructure would be useful/necessary/available and at what price
Survey among researchers about their attitude towards distributed conferences
Sample concept for a large-scale international conference (e.g., ACL with 2000 participan

Benefits

If we can find a reasonable (low-cost, easy-to-use, etc.) way to set up and organize a distributed conference, we expect that they will become more and more common in the future since they provide several benefits to different stakeholders:

Researchers: save travel time and budget, networking more focussed on “local” peers (hence higher probability for joint follow-up projects)
Environment: reduced CO2 emission
Universities: reduced travel expenses
Developing Countries: chance to be present at top conferences due to lower travel costs

If we could for a conference replace the long-distance flights of half of the participants by inner-continental fligts (or even train rides), this would in the case of the ACL conference (see above) avoid in 400 long-distance flights...every year.