Conference season is almost upon us and, for some, has already started 😊
Maybe you’re one of the lucky ones, who’ll be heading off somewhere nice to meet with fellow researchers, academics and professionals to discuss topics close to your heart?
You’ll be looking forward to immersing yourself in subject matters of interest, meeting other like-minded delegates and generally getting to indulge your passion for your subject.
But before you get carried away (by transport or by your enthusiasm), take a moment to reflect and consider how the meeting is going to best meet your needs. How will you make the most of the time, effort and money invested in this trip?
Here are some tips to help you on your way:
Abstract Thinking
If you haven’t submitted your Abstract* yet, take some time to write something really engaging to draw the attention of the meeting organisers. In this way, you’ll maybe be chosen to present a talk rather than a poster.
Why does this matter?
When you give a talk (and obviously you need to have results to present), you’re in the spotlight. What better way to get noticed by a captive audience?
This is a hugely powerful networking situation because, as a speaker, you’re more likely to attract attention from fellow delegates and it propels you into a position of being an authority on your subject and even being headhunted for your next job.
Not only that, you’re in a session with other speakers, some of whom will perhaps be more senior and established than yourself. This gives you a golden opportunity to network more closely with those who may not ordinarily be very approachable.
Preamble
Preparing** for the meeting is as important as going there. So, what can you do?
Find out who’s organising the meeting – it’s good to get a context and perspective. Quite often, meetings are organised by learned societies, who ask you to join them to get reduced registration. However, if you look at them more closely, you may find other benefits, such as travel grants, awards, competitions and mentoring connections.
Investigate other information about the conference:
Is there a # so that you can follow the organiser’s social media messages?
Have the organisers published their programme and list of speakers? If so, can you identify (and even connect with) any of the speakers, some of whom may even be potential collaborators or new supervisors.
Are there any interesting side programmes and events that you can sign up for that will increase your networking opportunities?
Are they looking for volunteers to assist them, e.g. writing summaries of sessions, reporting on posters, helping with practicalities – this may appeal to some.
Are there any connections you can make ahead of the meeting, e.g. send a friendly email or connection request to fellow delegates. This may sound odd, but I’ve seen PhD students and early career researchers inviting fellow delegates to join them at their poster or in the pub or café (an especially useful way to meet a few friendly faces if you’re traveling solo).
Meeting of minds
What is the purpose of meeting up with people in your field of interest? What’s the point?
Most people would say that it’s to hear about others’ work and to gather information.
And whilst this is true, the main reason conferences exist is so that people can gather together (either in person or online****) to meet each other, exchange ideas and get to know one another better. It’s a great source of potential collaborations and even friendships.
So, how can you improve your conference experience? Here are some tips:
First of all, be purposeful. Ask yourself, what do you want to achieve by attending this conference? In this way, you’ll have some goals to chase, as well as leaving things open for more random happenstance encounters and experiences.
When you’re a PhD student or junior researcher, you may feel a little low in the conference pecking order (e.g. I’m just a PhD student, I’m only a junior researcher).
Discard this view of yourself and be ready to assert yourself as a valuable contributor to your field. This might be your ability to design and conduct insightful experiments, using methodologies to generate new data in your field, it might be new perspectives on the research field. Remember that you’re the engineers who are using technology to move the field forward, just as much as those more senior to you.
Other delegates are a source of different perspectives on your current knowledge and data, so embrace people’s opinions and ideas, take on board their views and don’t be afraid to defend your own (but not in a defensive way!). You never know, this could be the start of a great professional relationship 😊
You can raise your status during the meeting, not only by giving a talk or a poster, but also by hanging out with your supervisor (if they are attending the meeting). By being in close proximity to them, you will find yourself in a social circle of more senior people, more difficult to access by yourself alone. Another strategy is to seek out researchers who work in a research group of potential interest to you and this can also help to bring you to the attention of their leader.
If you’re successful in making some valuable contacts during the meeting, make sure that you hold on to them by remembering their name (!), getting their contact details and following up on your conversation (just briefly). In this way, you start to build your network ….
So, in conclusion, I hope these tips have been helpful in showing you how to get more out of your conference experience(s) this year. And, of course, one more important tip to add: don’t forget to enjoy yourself too 😊
*Related content: Abstract thinking eye-catching conference Abstract
**Are you conference ready? https://biosciencecareers.org/2024/01/are-you-conference-ready.html
***Learned societies https://biosciencecareers.org/learned-societies
****Get engaged – networking online https://biosciencecareers.org/2021/07/get-engaged.html