To present or to be present? Rethinking the value of the academic conference

Academic conferences have become predictable and largely transactional, organised around paper presentations, proceeding publications, and performance metrics. This viewpoint argues for a rethinking of this value proposition. Drawing on Service-Dominant Logic and Value Co-Creation Theory, we reframe the academic conference not as a service that delegates consume but as a co-creative ecosystem they collectively produce. We propose that the value of a conference lies in the dialogue, relationships, and shared meaning-making that unfold across and beyond it, and that conference participants, including early career researchers, postgraduate students, academics, practitioners, and organisers alike, are active co-creators of that value rather than passive recipients of it. To illustrate what co-creative design looks like in practice, we use the International Conference on Responsible Tourism and Hospitality (ICRTH) as a case vignette, reflecting on it through the four mechanisms that underlie co-creation: dialogue, positioning, voice, and agency. We conclude this viewpoint by considering what this reframing means for participants, organisers, and institutions, with particular attention to its relevance in Asian business and higher education contexts.