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This article and those listed below are part of Convene’s February 2026 issue. Find the turn-page versions of this and past issues in our digital library. Illustrations by Dror Cohen
Concerns about the difficulties and risks for researchers traveling to the U.S. recently contributed to the launch of EurIPS, a European addition to NeurIPS 2025, the annual conference on neural information processing systems, held in December in San Diego. But there was also an undercurrent of something else. According to one news report, the sold-out inaugural EurIPS (2,200 attendees) in Copenhagen, Denmark, attracted researchers from more than 56 countries. “In talking to people in the hallways,” EurIPS organizer Soren Hauberg said, a recurring theme was getting along: “People expressed a desire for a less hostile environment.”
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace has said: “No established democracy in recent history has been as deeply polarized as the U.S.”
Many agree that this polarization has normalized treating others who disagree with us with contempt — and also has shown up in contempt for scientific progress. How are U.S.-based conferences responding?
We explore in the articles below how a summit for municipal leaders was designed to help them work through their differences with respect and civility and how another conference for pediatricians created a safe space to work through their angst. We also speak with Timothy Shriver, who has launched the “Dignity Revolution,” a movement the events industry can get behind.
Earn CMP Credit
Earn one clock hour of certification by visiting pcma.org/convene-cmp-series to answer questions about the articles in this cover story package. The Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) is a registered trademark of the Events Industry Council.
Scaling Dignity
How a conference for municipal leaders helped spur a movement toward civil discourse in the political arena and beyond. READ MORE
Setting the Tone for Civility
A code of conduct for events should go beyond preventing harassment and set the standard for treating fellow participants with respect. READ MORE
‘Disagree With Ideas, Don’t Dehumanize People’
A new movement to give people tools to have more productive and humane disagreements is gaining ground. READ MORE
Setting the Stage for Difficult Conversations at Events
Sometimes, difficult discourse isn’t about sharing conflicting perspectives but addressing serious issues your group shares in common. An Opening General Session that acknowledges the challenges your community is experiencing while also uplifting them may require more than a nice speech by an earnest speaker. For the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference, it took a primal scream — and a few animals. READ MORE