October 2023, Revision requested by the European Economic Review
This paper analyzes the consequences of the change in the presentation mode of economics seminars triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The composition of seminar speakers changed significantly. The share of seminars held by women increased. The leading economists in terms of recent output and top young top economists also gained shares. The geography of knowledge dissemination shifted significantly as the distance between host and speaker institutions increased on average by 32 percent. The results imply that virtual presentations instead of traveling can decrease gender-specific inequality and increase inequality by productivity in the profession.