System and method to manage an electronic conference hosted by a conference server coupled to a processor and a memory, the method including: receiving, by a communication interface of the conference server, a request from a user to participate in an electronic conference; determining, by the processor, resources needed by the user and resources needed by the electronic conference; determining resource contentions among resources needed by the user and resources needed by the electronic conference; collecting contextual information related to at least one of the user and resources needed by the electronic conference; and resolving, by the processor, contentions among resources needed by the user and resources needed by the electronic conference.