The best of both worlds? Reflections on the first hybrid international indexing conference in Berlin

Abstract

The first hybrid indexing conference, ‘Continental Connections’, was held in Berlin in October 2022, with speakers and participants both on site and online, and presentations live-streamed to remote participants and recorded for later viewing by those unable to attend in real time. The original plans for an international indexing conference in Europe in 2021 had been derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated restrictions on travel and events. But in making a virtue of necessity, by embracing the hybrid format, the conference proved to be a resounding success, increasing participants’ sense of belonging to an international indexing community. With increased attendance and largely positive feedback from both groups of participants, it has set a precedent for future conferences and established how the hybrid format could be even more successful. Widening participation in this way will provide more opportunities for the interaction with colleagues that is so vital for freelance book indexers, who work in a niche area of publishing and are scattered around the world.