Multi-Site Conference Hosting Initiative (MULCH): Enhancing the Human Aspect of Low-Carbon Long-Distance Conferencing

This multi-university collaboration, including Tufts University (Boston), the University of Washington (Seattle), and the Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta), will organize and pilot a format for hosting simultaneous in-person conferences. The events will offer links for 4 main conference components: keynote presentations, panel discussions, receptions and social settings, and online participation. This paper describes the need for this innovation, past experience with multi-site conferences, our preparations for a pilot event in early October, 2020, the potential business model for future multi-site conferences as a replacement for fly-in conferences, and critical questions on which expert input from the VR community is needed.