Certainly conferences can be great places for innovation, that's why a lot of them are held every year. They tend to be easier to organise outside of wartime t

Certainly conferences can be great places for innovation, that's why a lot of them are held every year. They tend to be easier to organise outside of wartime thought, and I further imagine that having a constant and realistic fear that a message announcing the violent death of a relative or friend could arrive at any day is not great for focusing the mind on abstract matters. Especially as it was fairly likely that you would see or hear of such a message arriving to some acquaintance on a regular basis.