Blog – Conference Countdown: Mastering the Art of Preparation

Attending a conference is an excellent opportunity to network, learn about new research and industry developments, connect with other professionals in your field and share your own work. However, with so many people, sessions, and events to navigate, it can be overwhelming to prepare for a conference – especially if its your first time. In this blog, I’ll provide some tips on how to prep for attending a conference so that you can make the most of your experience.

Review the Conference Program

The first step in preparing for a conference is to review the conference program. Typically, conference programs are available online and will be circulated to delegates via email. They provide detailed information about the event, including the schedule of sessions and events, session descriptions, and the names of speakers. Reviewing the conference program ahead of time can help you identify sessions and events that are of interest to you, and help you plan your schedule for the duration of the conference. You can also use the conference program to identify the names of people you’d like to connect with, either by attending their sessions or by reaching out to them through social media or email.

Set Goals

Before attending a conference, it’s important to set goals for what you hope to achieve from the experience.

Your goals might include:

• Networking with other professionals in your field
• Learning about new research or industry developments
• Sharing your own work through a presentation or poster session
• Identifying potential job opportunities or collaborators

Setting specific goals can help you stay focused during the conference and ensure that you get the most out of your time there.

Digital networking

One of the key benefits of attending a conference is the opportunity to network with other professionals in your field. To make the most of this opportunity, you could optimise any social media platforms that you use and use them throughout the conference. Often conferences have hashtags which you can follow. By sharing any interesting insights that you gain throughout the conference and by adding the hashtags, you will be more easily identifiable for other delegates and thereby expand your digital network. You may also want to tidy up your twitter or LinkedIn pages ahead of schedule for this reason too!

Dress Appropriately

When attending a conference, it’s important to dress appropriately. While the dress code may vary depending on the conference and the location, it’s generally a good idea to err on the side of professionalism.

Take Care of Logistics

Before leaving for the conference, make sure that you take care of all logistical details, such as booking your hotel room, arranging transportation to and from the conference venue, and ensuring that you have any necessary travel documents (such as a passport). If you are part of an institution like a university – you could check if expenses are reimbursable or if you could apply for a conference grant to help support your attendance. You may also want to consider downloading any necessary apps or software that will be used during the conference. For example, some conferences use a mobile app to provide information about the schedule, session locations and for interactive sessions where audience polls may occur.

Follow Up

After the conference, it’s important to follow up with the people you met and the connections you made. This can include sending a brief email to someone you met at a networking event, connecting with people on LinkedIn, or sending a thank you note to a speaker or presenter whose session you found particularly valuable. Following up after the conference can help solidify the connections you made and may lead to future collaborations or job opportunities.

Attending a conference can be a valuable opportunity to connect with other professionals in your field, learn about new research and industry developments, and share your own work. With the tips presented in this blog in mind, you’ll be well-prepared to navigate a conference and make the most of your time there. Remember to be open to new experiences, approachable, and curious, as these are the attitudes that will help you make the most of this opportunity.

Thanks for reading and listening! Hannah.