Conferencing 101: Everything I Wish I Knew Before Attending My First Conference

#1 Personalise your calendar

Look through the program for the conference beforehand and decide on the most relevant talks for your field. Then, build your personalised timetable around these sessions. Big conferences often have multiple sessions running simultaneously so knowing where you want to be and when is important. Doing this before the event also means you know the key names to look out for at networking events and won’t end up speaking to a prominent researcher in your area without knowing it!

Take time to do some research on the speakers, including reading their recent publications, so you can make the most of their talks and the possibility of chatting with them after.

#2 Be brave and talk to people!

Living in a digital world, it can be daunting to approach someone you don’t know and start a conversation – IN REAL LIFE! However, this is what conferences are all about! Being able to meet people at the same career stage as you, as well as those further on, can help you gain invaluable advice for your research. By talking to people, you may find opportunities for future collaborations where you can learn new techniques or methods for your own work.

It’s also important to make yourself known within your area so you can meet researchers you may work with in the future. In my experience, people are usually really friendly at conferences and more than happy to discuss your research plans or answer any questions. Be brave and go for it!

#3 Know your elevator pitch

An elevator pitch is a quick summary of yourself and your work, similar to the amount of time you would have in a lift (or an elevator for our American friends!) with an idol. Making sure you know how to eloquently summarise your research plans will allow you to introduce yourself confidently whilst networking.

I recently attended some training about putting together your elevator pitch professionally. My pitch now includes: my name, university, the focus of my research project, the techniques I’m using, and the research sector I am hoping to pursue in the future. This can be tailored depending on who you are speaking to but consider using this checklist to design your own elevator pitch, and then practice it!

#4 Practice your presentation

If you’re presenting at a conference, see my previous help sheet for presentations in my post titled ‘Sharing your research during your PhD’. If your presentation is later in the conference schedule, find the room beforehand and practice standing at the front. This lets you visualise where you’ll be giving your talk and can reduce your nerves when the moment arrives.

Practicing your talk beforehand also means your nerves will have less of an effect on your final presentation. I find it always helps to have a friendly face in the audience so consider asking other students from your department or your supervisor to come and listen – and then ask for their feedback on your talk afterwards, building into a continued cycle of development and improvement.

#5 Take time to rest

Conferences often have very long days and a jam-packed schedule. Make sure you look after yourself. Resting well before a conference, including allowing time to relax after travelling to the destination, is important to ensure you can perform your best.

If the conference involves international travel, build in time to adjust to the time difference and to recover from the journey. Prioritising your sleep and resting well during the conference is important too; a PhD is often an isolated experience so it can be overwhelming to suddenly be surrounded by people all day! Giving yourself time to adjust to the environment (and taking time in the evenings for yourself) will help top up your social battery and enable you to enjoy the event.