Preliminary note: A modified version of this article is going to appear in the IEEE Magnetics Society Newsletter, so please enjoy this sneak peek and do check out the Newsletter if you are interested.
Through my experience of attending approximately 20 conferences as an active researcher in the fields of experimental condensed matter physics and magnetism, I believe that I am qualified to share some thoughts on the various possible ways to make the most out of any conference, no matter whether you are a young and less experienced researcher or a seasoned professional.
(1) Choose the right conference and set goals. Conferences range from large-scale events like the APS March Meeting which just took place in Las Vegas with approximately 13,000 attendees, to more specialized gatherings with only a few dozen or hundred people attending. Prior to signing up for a conference, it is important to determine your goals and identify which meeting is best suited to achieve them. Do you want to connect with new people in your specific subfield or gain new ideas from expert talks? Are you planning to attend poster sessions where many undergraduates present their first results or do you really want to see that famous Nobel laureate delivering a plenary talk? I have met too many people who ended up attending a conference that did not meet their expectations, so please try to avoid this by planning ahead. Personally, I like to use larger-scale conferences for developing new ideas based on presentations by and interactions with people who may not work in my field, whereas I attend smaller, more specialized conferences with the goal of networking and bringing my work to the attention of other people in my research community.
(2) Planning is key. Create a detailed schedule and do not hesitate to modify it over and over. Sometimes it is advisable to plan attending complete sessions (i.e., blocks of two to four hours packed with short talks). In some cases, it may be preferable to jump between sessions and select specific talks that interest you. In any case, remember to take breaks! Especially as a graduate student, my conference schedule was jam-packed with a myriad of presentations, but as I have established myself in the magnetism community, more networking events appear in my agenda, such as meeting past colleagues and advisors, and taking part in receptions and dinners. This already brings me to the third point.
(3) Networking with other attendees. Talking to other attendees over lunch or during one of the numerous coffee breaks is crucial for making the most out of your conference experience. Many people consider this to be the most important aspect of a conference — I agree for the most part, but it may depend on the type of conference and your role in the community. If you are inexperienced or introverted, it can be helpful to prepare conversation starters and an elevator pitch. For example, if you found a talk interesting and didn’t get the chance to talk to the speaker right away, consider sending them an email expressing your interest and suggesting a specific topic for discussion. Additionally, people may approach you based on your own presentation. As a matter of fact, I have even had the experience that an engaging presentation in a suitable session may lead to new collaborations — in my case, a simple interaction at a conference had a major impact on the most important chapter of my PhD thesis.
(4) Consider using social media. You will likely also give an oral talk or present a poster at the conference that you plan to attend, and it is certainly desirable to deliver an exciting presentation. There are many helpful resources that can assist you in preparing and delivering a captivating presentation, so I am not going to discuss this here. Instead, I would like to highlight the role of social media in promoting your work. I am observing an increasing amount of scientists announcing their presentations on platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn, highlighting potentially interesting sessions and connecting with fellow attendees (before and during the conference). Therefore, I can only recommend polishing up your social media profile and using those online networks to enhance the visibility of your work.
(5) Follow up. Once the conference is over, go through your notes, write emails to people you met, and consider presenting to your team colleagues about your conference experience. This is something that I like to do regularly in order to motivate younger group members to rethink their approach to conference planning. Furthermore, it gives me a chance to report on the current hot topics in our field and share new ideas relevant to our own research with them.
In conclusion, considering these tips and tricks can help you to maximize your conference experience and ensure that you build lasting connections, gain new insights and ideas, and promote your work more effectively. So, plan ahead, network with other attendees and remember to share your conference experience with your colleagues who did not attend.
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