I see where you are coming from, Mike.  At the same time, there is something fundamentally different about an in-person event. From my own experience, some of the most valuable learnings I have taken from in-person events have been completely unplanned; in particular, developing personal relationships with people from other parts of the world or from other projects. We should be doing our best to ensure that people from all over the world have the opportunity to have these experiences, as they have been fundamental to our growth as a movement.  A lunchtime walk, a random encounter at breakfast, or a casual introduction has often turned into an action plan to collaborate.  These things don't really happen during online meetings and conferences.

There are also plenty of issues with online meetings, too.  Connectivity problems, software challenges, and the fact that it's much more difficult to socialize online are just the beginning. 

Hybrid, yes.  But it is critical that we don't consider the presence of those who face greater challenges in attending in-person as non-essential. Their ability to participate in the same way as someone from a country with easy access is, in some ways, even more important. 

Risker/Anne