Your Conference Checklist – Conference Preparation for Newbies
Unsure how to go about conference preparation? Our conference checklist got you covered. Whether this is the first time you are attending an academic event or you have taken part in dozens but want to make sure you’re not forgetting anything, print out this to-do list and cross items off it as you go.
Conference Preparation Checklist
Here is everything you should get done before the conference to enjoy it to the fullest.
3 months before the conference:
- Book your travel and accommodation
- Block out the time in your calendar and submit a request for time off if you plan to stay a couple of days extra to explore the host city
- Submit your visa application if a visa is required for your travels
2 months before the conference:
- Create an outline of what you would like to emphasize during your presentation if you are a speaker or poster presenter
- Check out the program of the event and start connecting with relevant people on LinkedIn
1 month before the conference:
- Work on finalizing your presentation: putting together the slides or the design of the poster, creating an outline for your oral presentation, etc.
- Put together a list of goals and set ideal targets: how many people you’d like to connect with, what sorts of partnership opportunities you’d like to pursue, representatives of what types of institutions you are especially interested in engaging with, and so on
- Make reservations / book tickets for must-see items on your list: restaurants, museums, and other activities
2 weeks before the conference:
- Send your presentation slides / poster image to the event organizer for feedback
- Adjust your presentation slides / poster based on the feedback received
- Check out the updated program to see what other presentations will be about and come up with a list of questions you’d like to get answers to – questions that will help you engage with speakers as well as learn strategies and methodologies for your own research
- Confirm the technical requirements with the event organizer – e.g., if you are using your own laptop, make sure the event organizer can accommodate it
1 week before the conference:
- Take note of the social events offered by the event organizer and identify your networking goals
- Research places you’d like to visit while in the host city. Don’t go overboard though. Give yourself plenty of time and flexibility to change plans as you go
- Complete any outstanding/urgent tasks that may stress you out at the conference
- Rehearse your presentation
- Send the final version of your presentation to the event organizer and make sure you have a back-up (on a USB drive, on the cloud, or both)
- Keep an eye on social media – posts from other participants about the event. Connect with people in advance, make plans to catch up at the event or even plan social outings
- Research the immediate neighborhood of the conference venue. This is where the participants are likely to gather after the conference. Plus, it gives you a list of possible places to host your own social hour
- Browse through conference materials. If there is a mobile application, download and explore it
3 days before the conference:
- Make sure you have all the essentials you need: from business cards to personal hygiene products
1 day before the conference:
- Set your out-of-office message
- Get as much rest as possible post-travel
- Review and rehearse your presentation one more time
- Have your outfit ready for the next day
- Address any last-minute emails from the event organizer
The day of the conference
- Kick off the day with a positive attitude, ready to engage, provide insights, receive feedback on your research, meet new people, listen to new perspectives, learn, and have a great time!
Preparation – Key to Success
As Benjamin Franklin so brilliantly put it, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
Conference preparation is about clarifying to yourself what goals you are trying to achieve. Is it connecting with people and expanding your network? Are there any particular opportunities you are seeking to learn about? Perhaps you are primarily concerned with improving your communication and presentation skills?
Once you are clear about your goals, you can put together a conference checklist of what tasks you need to complete in order to achieve these goals.
However, we encourage you to remain open-minded. Be ready for discoveries and adventures. While preparation allows you to maximize the value you derive from a conference, being overly rigid with sticking to a pre-defined schedule may leave no room for new, unexpected experiences and learnings.
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