Participant experience of a low-carbon, hybrid ‘spoke-and-hub’, small-format lung health conference

BACKGROUND: The environmental impact of medical conferences has prompted calls for carbon minimization strategies to be more widely adopted. The COVID crisis has occasioned greater acceptance of digital conference formats, which can enhance access and broaden participants inclusion. However, studies on the impact of carbon minimization models on participant satisfaction and engagement are limited. OBJECTIVE(S): To assess participant satisfaction, and estimate travel-related carbon emissions, from an Australian national lung conference that utilized a carbon-minimizing "hybrid spoke-and-hub" format offering either in-person or virtual attendance, which can also facilitate participation for those unable to travel due to personal or professional constraints. METHODS: Participant satisfaction was assessed using a pre-specified survey tool. Actual travel-related carbon emissions for air and car travel were calculated for the hybrid meeting and compared to the inferred impact if the same meeting had been held in a single major city (Sydney) as in-person attendance only. RESULTS: 174 delegates attended (88 in-person, 86 virtual). The participant survey was completed by 45% of eligible attendees. The hybrid model reduced air passenger carbon emissions by 95%, and car passenger emissions by 48%, resulting in a reduction of 26.19 metric tonnes of carbon emissions compared to the inferred single-hub format. Participant satisfaction was high across all parameters, though 'ability to interact with colleagues' and 'ask questions', were negatively impacted by the hybrid model. CONCLUSIONS: This hybrid approach led to a major reduction in inferred environmental impact with unexpectedly high user acceptability and preference. Key limitations were interaction with colleagues and ability to ask questions. These findings support the adoption of hybrid model meeting formats that minimize environmental impact.