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Event strategists can ‘center on the why’ to adapt to changing circumstances.
“This is a critical moment for science convening,” Charlotte Farmer, D.Eng., senior vice president and COO of independent safety science organization UL Research Institutes, told Convene. “At UL Research Institutes, we’ve navigated this by staying focused on mission, expanding global platforms, and prioritizing hybrid accessibility. For example, we have held world tours of invitation-only battery summits that address challenges specific to the country visited.”
Charlotte M. Farmer, senior vice president and COO, UL Research Institutes
Farmer offered the following advice to organizers:
Center on the why. Articulate the societal value of your convening clearly.
Rethink format. Decentralized hubs and digital models can reduce dependency on any one system or geography.
Build alliances. Partner with nonprofits, philanthropies, and mission-aligned enterprises to diversify support.
Conferences, she added, “are not optional — they are infrastructure for innovation. We must adapt, protect, and modernize them to continue delivering global progress.”
Michelle Russell is editor in chief of Convene.
For more of Farmer’s expert advice, check out our preview of her talk at ECEF 2025.