going hybrid

IEA2021 will be a hybrid event, comprising both an in-person conference and a virtual conference.

Plans for the in-person conference are going exceedingly well and we are confident we will deliver a dynamic, enriching, and memorable experience. The Congress will comprise 5 days of technical content, including plenary sessions at the start of each day followed by 12 concurrent sessions. To complement these, rather than traditional poster board posters on-site, we will have ePosters available from any device with internet access during the event and for 30 days after. ePosters will include the electronic poster plus a 3-5 minute narrated, video poster presentation of 4-5 slides. All ePosters will be displayed in gallery view with a 24-hour accessible search, synchronous presentation times as well as an embedded asynchronous chat function. You will be able to communicate directly with presenters to ask questions, learn more about their research, or just make a connection. We believe this initiative will promote greater interaction and will have great impact complementing the 90-minute in-person and 60 minute virtual lecture presentations.

Going hybrid will allow people who, for a variety of reasons, will not be able to join the in-person conference in Vancouver to participate in the most important human factors and ergonomics conference of 2021. As such, this initiative will take the IEA mission to elaborate and advance ergonomics science and practice while expanding its scope of application and contribution to society to a whole new level.

We are introducing the virtual conference as an integral pat of the Congress, but it will have more limited technical content than the in-person conference. The virtual conference will have up to 28 unique webinar-style sessions, compared with about 144 sessions of the the in-person conference. The plenary sessions in Vancouver will be live-streamed to the virtual conference delegates.

Registration fees will be reduced to make the virtual conference widely accessible. And, virtual session delegates will be able to join online presentations at scheduled times to pose questions and interact with the authors. The recorded virtual sessions will be available on- demand for 30 days post Congress. In-person delegates will have access to the virtual conference as well.

The main body of the Congress will be the in-person conference. We received 1024 submissions for consideration in Lecture and ePoster formats which will be distributed over the 5-day congress for the in-person and virtual sessions. In-person attendees will also have opportunities to participate in Industrial visits and social events around the in-person and virtual Technical program. It will be truly unforgettable! Nothing can really replace the in-person experience.

However, if attending the in-person event is not possible for you, with the virtual elements you can still access a part of the Technical Program and communication with authors and other delegates through the conference online platform.

Online registration is open. Advantage rate deadline is March 15.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is IEA going hybrid?

The IEA Congress will be a hybrid event (meaning there will be both an in-person conference and a virtual conference) because some people may not be able to travel due to the pandemic or its economic impact. Making the Congress more accessible helps the IEA achieve its underlying mission to elaborate and advance ergonomics science and practice, and to expand its scope of application and contribution to society by reaching a much larger audience.

Given COVID, why not go fully virtual?

At this point, we are very confident that the in-person conference will take place as planned. It is impossible to fully replicate the richness, chance encounters, and energizing atmosphere of an in-person conference. However, if circumstances dictate, we will be ready to transition to a virtual format. The good new is that this has little impact on the work currently underway to develop the technical program.

Why is it not all virtual?

The virtual conference is for people who are certain that they will not be able to travel to Vancouver. If travel restrictions arise later, changing from in-person to virtual will be possible. No virtual event, however well-orchestrated and executed, can replace an in-person event. Many people feel that they get more value out of hallway interactions and chance meetings than the actual sessions. Delegates also cherish the opportunity to reacquaint themselves with friends and colleagues and make new connections in a face-to-face event. Unless COVID restrictions mandate that we pivot to a completely virtual Congress, which we doubt, we are vigorously planning the greatest ever in-person event in Vancouver.

Will delegates be able to register for both the in-person conference and the virtual conference?

Delegates who register for the in-person conference will automatically be registered for the virtual conference. No additional fees will be charged.

How will the virtual content differ from the in-person content?

The virtual conference will be more limited in terms of the extent of technical content, meaning it will have fewer sessions. The papers will undergo the same peer-review process and meet the same quality standards. In addition, the plenary sessions and keynote lectures will be live-streamed. The virtual sessions will be recorded and available on demand for 30 days post Congress.

What time zones will be used?

The schedules for both the in-person conference and the virtual conference will refer to Pacific Daylight Time (UTC -7:00). Delegates are urged to join the sessions when they are broadcast live. However, delegates who are unable to join the virtual session when they are scheduled will be able to access the session on-demand and be able to interact with the authors and other delegates through dedicated LinkedIn Groups (LinkedIn Groups will be established for each session and will remain active indefinitely).

Where should I submit my proposal for the virtual content?

Proposals to present at the virtual conference are submitted using EasyChair in the same way as for the in-person conference. However, don't forget to check the box for the virtual conference if you are only able to present at the virtual conference.

If I submit to the in-person event will I be able to alter my choice?

Yes, it will be possible to change your preferred choice either way prior to the abstract submission deadline of September 25. After that, changes may not be possible.

Will virtual presentations be published in the Proceedings?

Yes, all papers submitted either to the in-person Congress or the virtual conference will be published provided they are submitted in time and they conform to the publication requirements.

Will authors be required to register for the in-person Congress or the virtual conference to have the presentation included in the Proceedings?

Yes, in order to have the paper published in the Proceedings, authors will need to register by the incentive deadline. If they fail to do that, the paper will not be published.

Will virtual conference delegates only have access to the in-person keynotes?

The virtual conference will have unique content and is a complement to the in-person conference. In addition to the live-streamed sessions, such as the plenary sessions, the virtual conference will have up to 28 unique virtual sessions (i.e., that are not part of the in-person conference).

Will all sessions be available on-demand for 30 days?

Only the sessions that are part of the virtual conference will be recorded and available on-demand. The concurrent sessions of the in-person conference will not be recorded.

As a virtual attendee, would I be able to ask questions or participate in discussions?

Yes, during the scheduled times the authors will be available to answer questions and address comments. In addition, it is planned that each virtual session will have an associated LinkedIn Group to facilitate interaction and continue the dialogue and information sharing indefinitely.

Once registered as an in-person attendee, can I change my registration to the virtual? Or vice versa?

Yes, changes either way will be possible. We strongly recommend registering to the in-person conference, which will give you access to the virtual conference as well. The deadlines for changes have not yet been finalized. However, authors of accepted papers will will need to select the destination conference (in-person or virtual) by the submission deadline of September 25, 2020.