A new framework to communicate science

Abstract

Meetings and conferences in the American Chemical Society underwent perhaps their most significant change as the society adjusted in 2020 to new ways of interacting, collaborating, and networking. Like many science organizations, ACS terminated the Spring 2020 meeting as the threat of COVID-19 emerged. The Fall 2020 meeting proved to be a challenging experiment in virtual meeting planning and execution. The Committee on Meetings and Expositions (M&E) heard the concerns and resolved to offer a virtual platform that would meet the standards of ACS in-person meetings. Spring 2021 meeting: An assessment Diligent planning early on made for a successful ACS Spring 2021 meeting. A joint task force on the virtual Spring 2021 meeting gave guidance on the meeting structure. The task force—which included program chairs, division leaders, and planners, as well as representation from M&E, the Divisional Activities Committee, and the Multidisciplinary Program Planning Group—aimed to improve on the Fall