In Pursuit of Conference Equity

Abstract

Scientific meetings and conferences are a cornerstone of scientific culture. By bringing people together around a shared purpose, meetings serve as a platform for knowledge exchange and can often foster a sense of belonging. As some will argue, conferences can become “counterspaces” to affirm a person’s identity, provided they have adequate access to resources and support (Nakajima et al., 2024). From students to retirees, scientific meetings and conferences provide engagement and professional development opportunities for people from various career tracks and stages and serve as engines of innovation and collaboration. As a major source of revenue, meetings and conferences are also integral to the business models of many professional societies, publishers, exhibitors, businesses, and local economies.

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