Conference papers presented: 1
Conference papers attended: 30
Discussions held over a glass of wine: too many to mention!
I have just returned from a most productive academic conference in the U.S. which was very exciting. Being a junior academic at a conference is much like being a groupie at a stadium rock gig, you spend much of your time hanging around in coffee breaks and wine receptions hoping to find someone to introduce you to the real bigwigs in your field! There were scholars at this conference who have defined or revolutionized my field and to be in the same room as them was quite an experience, and to hear them speak was wonderful.
It’s certainly true that the Americans know how to run a conference. 500 of us were hosted in Williamsburg, Virginia by a highly organized team who knew exactly where we had to be and when and ensured we were fed, watered and homed extremely well for the four days of our stay. And were we watered! (…or should that be wined?!) We attended three drinks receptions (free bar for several hours!) in four days which I thought pretty good going. On a serious note, conferencing is not simply about enjoying free perks. We all worked really hard too, the first lectures of the day were at 8.30am so no lie-ins for us. And the social times have a serious side to them too, it’s a chance to network with the great and the good in your field and really get your name known.
If you have given a paper this is especially important because food and drink breaks give the delegates a chance to approach you and give you feedback on your performance and work. If you spoke too quickly or quietly or made a factual error, a colleague may take you to one side and mention it over a glass of wine. To do that in front of a large audience is inappropriate, so these social spaces at conferences allow it to happen. You really can learn a great deal from your colleagues and perhaps teach them a thing or two!
More to follow….
Have you ever been given any great advise at conferences? What is your best and worst conference experience? How about running your own?
