Strong relationships are the foundation of successful scientific teams, yet cultivating and maintaining them requires intentional effort and adaptable strategies. This intentionality is particularly important in distributed and interdisciplinary settings. As teams form, grow, and evolve, they must carefully design systems and strategies that support meaningful engagement, knowledge exchange, and long-term partnerships. This panel brings together community managers from diverse scientific organizations to share practical insights for incubating and accelerating teams via virtual meetings, in-person events, and infrastructure development.

Rieley Auger, program manager at the Global Land Programme (GLP), will describe the logistics involved with organizing a large-scale in-person event for a global scientific community and the impact such conveneings can have. She will share strategies and tactics for maximizing the value of limited in-person interactions, from intentional agenda-setting to effective facilitation techniques to ensure such events foster meaningful conversations that persist beyond a single event.