Going to a conference is an exciting but trying time. Exciting – in terms of thinking ahead to what you’ll learn, who you’ll meet and what knowledge and ideas you’ll bring home. Trying – in that the administration can be quite arduous.
Attending a conference can be overwhelming, trying to plan what you need to bring, what you need to wear and what you want to get out of the conference. In this post, I’m going to reflect on some of the key things I’m considering ahead of attending LILAC at the end of March. I’m preparing for my role both as an attendee and as a presenter.
Photo by The Climate Reality Project on UnsplashThe first conference I attended when I moved into HE was LILAC and there was a great talk that really helped me understand and get the most out of conferences. As librarians, we talk a lot about planning your literature search to get the most out of the work we do. The same can be said of going to conferences. Having a plan of action, knowing what talks you’re going to, what’s happening and when can help make the process seamless.
First things first – transport and accommodation. This can be the trying part of the administration of attending the conference. Doing the paperwork required of your institution, making the choices (if you’re allowed) about where you’re going to stay and how you’re going to travel. If the journey is longer than an hour by train, depending on the location, it might be worth staying over the night before the conference. This is especially true if you’re new to the conference and there are pre-conference orientation events you can attend. Some conferences offer first-time attendees a chance to meet before the main event, so you have a chance to meet some friendly faces.
I like to set up a Google map, tagged with where key locations are such as transport links, accommodation, conference location and any additional events (like conference drinks or a meal). This way, I’ve got it handy on my phone and can have directions available when I need them.
Then, it’s about choosing what talks you want to go to. If you can book in advance, this is helpful. That way you can identify talks that are going to be most useful to your role, your institution and your own development. If you’re lucky enough to be attending with a colleague, it might be worth dividing out some of the key talks to make sure you’re able to take advantage of attending. Most organisations appreciate a report on the key things you’ve learnt.
After various trials and tribulations, I’ve stopped bringing my laptop into the talks in conferences. It sounds counter-intuitive, but it allows me to really focus and be in the moment. The temptation when you’ve got your laptop to try and write everything down, to take copious notes and to check the odd email when you’re away turns a conference talk into a competition, rather than a learning experience. Some people are brilliant at capturing the essence of a talk and posting it on social media, unfortunately I’m not one of them. For me, it’s better to take the time to write things down by hand. It means I’m listening for the key points that strike me and I’m listening attentively rather than trying to correct my inaccurate typing. I’ll have my phone available to take a quick photo, if there’s a useful graphic or slide, I want to refer to.
These notes are really helpful for me after the conference, I usually type them up and whilst I’m doing that, I can focus on the most relevant elements I want to take forward. I’m learning to distil things to the key points, rather than trying to write everything down. That way, I can also identify any ideas I want to share with colleagues, and I share just those salient points, rather than the whole thing.
From a presenter point of view, there are a few more elements I need to consider. Most conferences want slides or presentation material ahead of time. That’s helpful in encouraging me to plan ahead and it also gives me time to think through what I need. I try and keep slides to a minimum so I can expand when talking in person. That’s a reflection of my own frustration of trying to read copious amounts of information on a slide when the presenter is discussing something else. It’s confusing and tiring.
So, at this point, the presentation is all prepared and sent ahead. The other things I need to consider is any additional elements I might need. Do I need handouts or resources for any activities I’m planning? Is everything accessible and easy to understand? I’m trying to make sure that everything is straightforward, it’s easy to engage with the session and easy to ask questions. I also want to make sure I have a backup; I’m going to make sure I can access my slides via the cloud. I’m going to print out my notes and activities, so I’ve got something to refer to if I need to.
I’m looking forward to attending LILAC. I’ve registered for the key talks and I’ve got some questions I’m interested in learning more about. If possible, I’ll try and talk about the presentations afterwards with someone else who attended, sometimes those conversations can help me identify the most relevant things I learnt.
Lessons learnt:
- Get organised!
- Put key information in one place (like locations in Google Maps), or your schedule for the conference on your phone (with a printout as quick reference).
Useful links:
Google Maps: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/preview