Image: International Railway Summit [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Flickr
Six tips for getting the most out of conferences
Conference coffee is unique. It lures you in with the promise of a sensory jumpstart for the post-lunch plenary, but it delivers nothing but empty heat and the memory of something better. And yet you’ll be awash with it. Like Kate and Leonardo endlessly running down corridors in Titanic pursued by dark and mysterious water—innocuous but deadly—that will be you and the coffee. Surviving it is the most important rule of thriving at a conference.
You could just abstain for the duration, or favour tea instead. You could ration yourself, safe in the knowledge that less is definitely more. You could find a nice little coffee shop nearby, and nip out a couple of times a day for a shot of caffeine and sanity. Whatever you do, once you’ve beaten the conference coffee, the rest is a breeze.
In addition to a foolproof coffee strategy there are six simple steps to getting the most out of a conference. And not one of them involves checking the lifeboat-to-delegate ratio.
1. Plan well
You might have had to choose your sessions before arriving, but don’t let that stop you from reconsidering once you’ve arrived. The programme, like the coffee, often promises more than it delivers. It is by turns alarming and alluring, offering impossible insights and riches. But look beyond the titles. Get a sense of both the speakers and the format. For me, these are more important than the topic.
An interesting, honest, and questioning speaker can make the most mundane subject insightful and enriching. Similarly, a format that allows you to engage with others is normally more useful than one that doesn’t.
2. Talk to people
The most fruitful parts of a conference are the bits in between. It’s the networking, talking to colleagues doing similar work in other universities. It’s making connections, learning from others, and sharing your knowledge. If you’re not a natural at this—and I’m not—it’s worth forcing yourself to overcome your shyness.
Generally, people are open to being randomly approached. And talking to them makes you realise you’re not alone, that many of your frustrations and issues are shared by others, and they might have found ways of solving or minimising them.
Alternatively, they might just be an interesting person with a love of good coffee and the films of James Cameron. There’s value in that too, and you can enjoy a little light relief from the main business of the day.
3. Question the speakers
Once again, this didn’t come naturally to me, and I had to overcome the dizziness and sweating before accepting the frightening roving microphone. However, it does make for a more interesting experience when you say what’s on your mind and see how the speakers respond.
Of course, don’t do the opposite and just question for the sake of it, but if you feel the speakers have skirted around an issue, or you would be genuinely interested in their thoughts, say so.
4. Take notes
You don’t have to stenograph everything you hear, but do try to capture interesting points. Your institution might expect you to feedback to others when you return, but even if they don’t, it’s useful to have something to look back on and remind yourself about what you’ve heard.
5. Use social media
There’s a shadow world, a secondary conference that is taking place alongside the real one. X (formerly Twitter) is not the forum it once was, but it remains a useful channel for conference commentary when organisers choose to engage with it, or when conferences are big enough. Other platforms are also available. At their best, using them makes you realise that others share the same interests, fears and humour as you.
6. Look around the city
I know, I know: your hard-pressed institution has paid for you to soak up knowledge, and you feel duty-bound to take in every word. But, actually, you’re most likely in a new city and you owe it to yourself to go beyond the conference venue and take it in a little. You will enjoy the conference much more if you get out a bit. Cut yourself a little slack and nip out at lunch, or in the evening, or even in that deathly plenary.
For me these six points are the essentials of conference-going. Anything else is a bonus. Looking at the posters, picking up freebies, winning the quiz are all well and good, but it’s getting access to the insights that are useful for you that will really make your trip worthwhile. And only you can do that: by planning, talking, questioning, and networking. Oh, and by being resolute in the face of so much bad coffee.
Be strong, dear reader, be strong.
This is an extract from an article in Research Professional’s Funding Insight service. To subscribe contact sales@researchresearch.com