Virtual Conferences: The next Big Thing or a Temporary Emergency Measure?

Due to the health and safety hazard introduced by Covid-19 and the measures of governments around the world restricting travel and large gatherings, most conferences in 2020 have decided to go virtual. This includes the recently held EvoStar conferences, as well as the upcoming Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO), which many SIGEVO Members are attending regularly.The following article will attempt to summarize the advantages, disadvantages and challenges that come with such virtual conferences from an attendee's perspective. As they are collected from discussions and personal opinions, take them with a grain of salt, as every experience on a conference is different.