Hosted by Thomas K. Varghese Jr., MD, MS, the “Beyond the Abstract” program explores the “whys” behind articles in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery and discusses next steps with authors and thought leaders. In the latest episode, Juan A. Crestanello, MD, and Brian Mitzman, MD, join Dr. Varghese to discuss “the Year of the Pandemic” and how it disrupted every aspect of lives around the world, including the ability to attend in-person gatherings and academic conferences. The authors share some of the exciting and innovative features planned for STS 2021—which are expected to be unlike anything the cardiothoracic surgery specialty has seen to date. Also discussed in this episode are best practices and other considerations for virtual meetings such as interactivity, virtual etiquette, resource inequality, spontaneity, technical needs, and social components. Read the related Annals articles online: STS 2021: The Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons and The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Virtual Conference Taskforce: Recommendations for Hosting a Virtual Surgical Meeting.