In 2017 my colleague and I published a journal article for the Informal Learning Review around live science events with a view specifically on the US sector. At the time, we were together helming a network of science festivals in North America that was over 40 members representing countless full time, part time, and volunteer hours of staff. We did try and count though! This overview of the work and what the live science events sector was is especially interesting when taking a step back as someone no longer entrenched in the network and now from the view of being in a pandemic that shelved in-person events almost entirely. As we look forward at events and what we want them to become, it's imperative to look back at what they once were. What are the things we were most influenced by? What are the things we measured and considered achievements? If we had to do it all over again from the ground up, what could we do to build it better?
