Conferences, summits, conventions, assemblies, forums, meetings — however you label them, big events are a mainstay of the global development calendar.
But remember when their existence was in doubt? First, the COVID-19 pandemic had us assuming that in-person gatherings would go the way of the dodo. After all, why endure the hassle and cost of traveling when there’s the ease of talking to people virtually? Well, those annoying glitches — which continue to this day — and the often impersonal, awkward nature of online conversations proved that face-to-face interactions still have a place in our tech-driven world.
And remember the restructuring of U.S. foreign assistance last year (I know, how can you forget)? That, coupled with waning donor appetite around the world, prompted questions about whether a financially bruised development community could even afford to attend confabs in faraway, often pricy cities.