Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #1 was last week, and for many of us, myself included, it was the first opportunity to experience what a real, week-long conference would be like if we had to do the whole thing from our own homes.

And naturally I'm going to mention how wonderful the whole thing was - we had a huge line-up of brilliant speakers, fascinating talks about a range of topics, and the whole thing ran as smooth as butter - except for some parts that didn't, but we are always keen to learn from these problems.

But on a personal level, I really enjoyed the whole experience.

Yes, I missed the rush of the crowds and the atmosphere of a busy conference centre, and I missed the genuine pleasure of bumping into someone I know as I walked between rooms.

But it was proof to me that this format really can work, and that introducing more events like this could improve accessibility and diversity in the industry as a whole.

Ease of access

Let's face it: going to a conference is hard work. It's financially difficult, because people need to book travel and hotels and pay for food while they're attending

It can be emotionally difficult, because you're spending time away from family and friends. And it's physically difficult - we may joke about "con flu" after each conference, but for some, being around large numbers of new people for several days is utterly draining, never mind the need to rush between track rooms to catch all the talks.

Digital conferences remove almost all of that. All you need is a relatively stable internet connection and some sort of device, and you're away. And if you're in the games industry, you've almost certainly got one of those knocking about somewhere.

Getting to the conference is as easy as turning on your device and logging in. Going to a different track room means clicking a link and jumping straight there. The barrier to entry is so low, pretty much anyone can take part.

Among the crowd

And while you may be in a "crowd" of hundreds of people watching a talk, you're basically invisible. If you dip in and out of a talk, you don't risk a squeaky door distracting everyone, nor do you need to awkwardly shuffle past someone at the end of a row of seats.

I've seen more questions being asked in a single Q&A session this week than ever before, and I think it's partly due to the fact that folks don't need to speak up or even be properly acknowledged. Drop an anonymous question in a text box and you're away.

And as all these barriers fall away, it opens up these spaces to people who wouldn't typically take part. Not everyone can afford the travel. Not everyone is able-bodied and capable of dashing between rooms, or even getting through the front door of some conferences. Not everyone feels comfortable being around so many people at once.

And with all these stresses pushed away, attending talks is even more enjoyable than before. A fascinating talk will always be a fascinating talk, but if you're dressed in your comfiest loungewear, loudly sipping a drink out of your favourite mug, the experience is even better.

A new wave

I'm not saying we'll see an end to physical events. The fact is, a lot of people really enjoy face-to-face interaction. And we're always hearing stories about business meetings that spring up from bumping into someone in a corridor. You can't quite get that same experience in a digital space.

But I do think that as more people attend digital conferences over the next year, largely because they're incapable of going to physical ones, they'll realise how good they can be.

We're going to see more digital conferences spring up between physical events, and I hope that we as an industry take note of how this style of conference could be a good thing for the industry as a whole.

Games are for everyone, and we shouldn't be locking off knowledge and interactions to those who can't get to a big building in San Francisco for whatever reason. Digital conferences work - let's embrace them as much as we can.