For more than half of all the attendees at the 2020 Women of Color (WOC) STEM Conference, personal commitments, and schedules, which were disrupted because of the coronavirus lockdowns, were two of the most critical factors in consideration before they registered for the event.

More than 54 percent of the respondents to the 2020 WOC STEM Post-Conference Survey said that scheduling convenience took priority over budget and availability (19 percent), and other reasons (21 percent), which included a desire to learn about external best practices or provide motivation to women in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) pipeline.

In addition, 67 percent of the survey respondents identified as working professionals.

College students (12 percent), recruiters (9 percent), and college coordinators (6 percent) accounted for the rest of the conference participants.

The working professionals in attendance said they award honorees or recipients, sponsors, exhibitors, and talent acquisition managers. At least 36 percent of the professionals in attendance had security clearance for work-related support of the Department of Defense and partner agency industrial and personnel security missions.

At least 49 percent of the 2020 survey respondents said they favored hybrid conferences, which combine a “live” in-person event with a “virtual” online component. Fifteen percent of those surveyed preferred an all-digital meeting, and 34 percent missed the traditional in-person format.

Overall, more than 44 percent were satisfied with the ease of accessibility that the Women of Color STEM Conference platform offered, and 56 percent were delighted with the lineup of speakers drawn from industry, academia, not-for-profit research organizations, and community-based organizations. Almost 90 percent of the survey respondents said they were highly likely to recommend the conference to a colleague.

Employers or nominating organizations (see A-Z list below) sponsored more than 88 percent of those registered. Of that number, 70 percent signed up to learn more about proven workforce strategies to enhance their services. More than 54 percent also came for the engaging and inspirational events, and at least 42 percent of attendees said they came to network.

Survey respondents were from: