Table 1 Lessons learned from two genetics and genomics meetings

 I. Many of our research community cannot travel for reasons such as family commitments, time commitments, funding, and environmental concerns. For these delegates, there is a strong interest in providing online registration options for those who cannot travel (for many reasons). This is a particularly relevant issue for the community in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).

 II. Virtual meetings can be more cost-effective.

 III. Live talks are well received but require time zone friendly adjustment of speaking slots or use of prerecords.

 IV. On-demand content is essential for those in different time zones and is valuable for all registrants to catch up on missed talks in parallel sessions and for individuals in LMIC with limitations in high-speed internet access. A period of at least 1 month seems reasonable, and speakers should consent.

 V. Plan for a sufficient number of attendees and use stable platforms which can handle access from all registrants.

 VI. A nimble PCO (professional conference organizer) together with a savvy IT provider who can quickly get on top of any technical issues as they arise are critical.

 VII. When live streaming, live talks, when feasible, are better received than prerecords.

 VIII. Virtual receptions to discuss experiences are a welcome addition for participants to network and discuss their experiences.

 IX. Features that facilitate interactivity (chats, Q&A features, polls) are useful to enhance audience participation and networking. The platforms used allowed for interaction at both the virtual HGM and G2MC.

 X. Create a messaging group for the organizing committee to communicate internally and quickly on issues as they arise to solve them quickly and distribute the workload.

 XI. Sponsors are critical to all meetings and can be offered banners in talks at virtual meetings.

 XII. For early career researchers, online on-demand short video presentations may work well if not better than static PDFs of posters. The online on–demand format frees conference organisers from the time limitations of a traditional meeting.

 XIII. Access to talks on demand is of great interest and a benefit of virtual meetings.