How to make the most out of a conference

Written by: Louisa Rasp 

Last month, I presented at the annual virology meeting of virology in Ulm and talked to some of the most influential people in the field of virology research. I learned about emerging research topics and methods and was fortunate to connect with researchers (with whom I might be interested in working). In this post, I share my approach to attending conferences and some tips that I think will help you maximise the benefit of such an opportunity. 

Setting up

Two months before the conference, my principal investigator (PI) and group leader told us we could all present a research poster at the meeting. We had to hand in an abstract for it, and then everyone got accepted. 

Making a poster (A0 on PowerPoint) for my MD project took me about 7 hrs (a feedback session with my PI included), and I printed it at the university hospital print service. 

The talks provided at a conference like this are great, but remember that you will probably get the most value out of 1 on 1 conversation and questions you will directly ask people. 

Setting 3 goals for one conference can be enough. The rest of the time, you can let yourself be spontaneous and get inspired by the many fascinating topics and people at the conference. 

Check who will be at the conference as keynote speakers. Those often are people in higher positions. After their talk, they are approachable. At the meeting I attended, a very influential researcher was only chair of a session. I found him via a keyword search in the online booklet.

If they are not approachable, check which Postdocs or PhDs from their institute and research group attending the conference and talk to them. 

When at the conference

Think about what you want to achieve in the brief conversation beforehand - is it to set a half an hour 1 on 1 meeting later that day, or get an E-mail address? Do you want that person to become your mentor? When you then walk up to the person, you almost did it ;). I found that the „famous“ people often were super friendly and down to earth. 

Some nice words at the beginning, like „I am fascinated by your research and think it is very important. I want to dedicate my work to…“ shows that you are interested and taking things seriously. You could also ask a question about a method. Open questions are best, I think, so people talk more freely („Which problems did you face when setting up method xy?“). 

I was in Germany, so people there usually quickly come to the topic they want to talk about, so I just straightforwardly asked if they offer internship opportunities. Also, it saves them time, which they usually have little of - so make sure to thank them for it at the end of your conversation.

Sometimes it can be tricky to catch busy conference presenters/attendees. If someone you're talking to seems too busy to chat at the time, ask them if it'd be okay if you reached out via email or another avenue to ask them a few questions. 

Search for the keywords of your research or interests (biosecurity, e.g.) in the online abstract book or topic flyer to make connections and possible cooperation. Leave your peer group occasionally and stroll around to find new research (on posters, …). 

Tips for achieving your goals 

But what if I am too shy and follow my research group all day? 

Go to the bathroom alone and remind yourself of your goals. 

I talked to two friends about how I wanted to approach a specific person in a high position and was a little nervous about it. They encouraged me and made sure I went through with it. You could also set an alarm clock on your phone to remind you of your daily goals.

I then asked one female professor if she had tips for women in research, and she gave me many inspiring and honest tips, which made it all worth it!

Relax

Conferences can be very stressful, and the social battery will discharge for a lot of people. Maybe you can find a spot at the venue to chill and listen to some LoFi/ take a nap/journal. „Reset“ your brain by drawing/going dancing in the evening. 

Don’t feel bad if you skip sessions for a few hours. I watched only 30% of the talks at the conference but picked the 4 that were on my research topic and 6 more that I attended spontaneously. That was enough for me to process anyway. 

Good luck!