International conferences continue to be one of the biggest propellants of progress in most academic disciplines, where scientists from all stages of their careers come together to share cutting-edge ideas and approaches. If you’re a researcher, chances are you’ll attend one or more of these meetings during your career. This blog offers five crucial tips for those looking to take part in an international conference in Singapore to make the most out of the event that they take part in.
- Tip #1
Update Yourself On All The Details For The Event
It is crucial that you be aware of all the details of the international conference that you’re planning on taking part in to ensure a smooth conferencing experience. The details will vary depending on whether you choose to attend an in-person conference or a virtual conference or even depending on which virtual conference format you’ve opted to participate in.
- Transportation
Accommodation and transportation expenses for international conferences 2022 can burn a hole in the pocket if there’s no planning involved and everything is done spur of the moment. Contemplate traveling along with those people whom you know. This will make it possible for you to share the cost of accommodation. Some conferences and companies specializing in the field offer colocation services for those looking for roommates for a conference. You can also travel with family or dependents. Just make sure to see if the meeting has programming or resources for chaperones, daycares and nursing facilities, etc., as required.
- Packing For The Conference
It is generally preferable to travel light and to pack your bags according to the situations and weather conditions you expect to encounter. Check the baggage policies for your mode of transportation, as policies vary widely by carrier and fare. If you are presenting, make sure your presentation materials travel safely with you. If you are giving a lecture, make a few different backups of the slides and discussion materials (store them on a USB drive or in the cloud) in case your computer is lost, stolen, or broken. Posters can be carried either inside a poster tube or even printed onto fabric so that it becomes foldable and can be put into your luggage. The poster can also be shipped locally or printed locally if it is difficult to travel with it.
- Preparing For Any Sort Of Presentation/Research Submission
Chronologically, these include writing and submitting an abstract or research article, accepting your abstract or article, conference registration, making travel and accommodation arrangements, traveling to the conference, and presenting your work. Since abstract and article submission deadlines can fall several months before the meeting date, it is important to know the abstract deadlines for conferences in your field. When planning a trip, make sure you arrive before and leave after the date and time of your presentation. If your trip involves multiple transportation stages, allow yourself plenty of time to complete each connection. International travel may require visas, and time and expense vary widely by country of origin and destination. Discuss the possibilities of attending an international conference with your research guide/mentor and factor in aspects such as travel visas, passports, approvals, etc. Conferences of international scope will usually communicate visa information and timeframes. Getting an IFERP Premium Membership is the best way to prepare for any conference presentation. IFERP’s team of veteran academics and researchers will help guide you on how to refine your presentation so that it meets global best practice benchmarks.
- Accommodation
Depending on the scope of the international conference, accommodation can be easily obtained at the conference venue. If not, the only other scenario is that all the conference attendees (whether they’re in the hundreds or in the thousands) will be vying for the few facilities that are located close to the conference venue. International conferences will generally contract guaranteed rates at nearby hotels, so it is best to stick to the deadlines and register early if you can. Familiarize yourself with transportation options to and within the host city of the conference. Again, conferences will usually send information and advice regarding transportation, accommodation, etc.
- Tip #2
Being Comfortable Is Key To A Fruitful Conferencing Experience – Prepare For It!
- Dress For Comfort
A good practice to follow is to dress as if you’re expecting to meet your future employer at a conference. At the same time, wear something that you’re comfortable in. Different types of international conferences and disciplines may have a variety of dress code standards. Participants presenting may wear more formal clothing, but many people will dress as they do as they would at home.
- Travel Light But Pack Cleverly
When packing your bags for an in-person 2023 international conference, check the weather before you go, as you may be outside – for instance, joining the conference from the airport, walking to find dinner, or going on outings). Between traveling to the conference venue, finding meals, and doing poster sessions, you’ll spend a lot of time being active. Wear shoes and clothes that will make it possible for you to do all of these things comfortably. Also, individual conferencing days can seem long and hectic. This is why it’s crucial to not over exert yourself too much in any one event or conferencing day. Packing a bottle of water to stay hydrated at all times, a small snack in case you feel pekish, and a comfortable backpack/carrybag to store your valuables, is highly recommended.
- The Comfort Of Your Own Home
When it comes to online conferences or webinars, you will most likely be attending from the comfort of your own home. Realize that it’s easy to sit and stare at the screen for hours. Make sure to take breaks, stay hydrated, stretch, and look away from your screen every now and then. It also helps to test your video, audio, and background before the conference. Find a well-lit room and make sure your background doesn’t distract you. A few video conferencing platforms even have video settings that will improve your picture quality if the lighting is low. Make sure to give them a go. Some virtual conferences can be held over an extended period (sometimes even a few weeks), and conference days can be longer than eight hours to accommodate different time zones, so be sure to adapt. Click and download the IFERP mobile app for any and all information on upcoming virtual and in-person conferences.
- Tip #3
Don’t Participate In A Conference Just For The Heck Of It – Find One That Will Help You Meet Atleast Some (If Not All ) Of Your Career Objectives!
When you decide to attend an educational conference in Singapore, think about how the experience will help you develop both professionally and intellectually. There can be more reasons that you could have imagined there being. International conferences are a platform for the best minds to meet – events where researchers can come together, present their research, comment on each other’s research, engage in professional development, and network with one another.
- Niche or Specialty Events
While some conferences offer a broad overview of an entire academic discipline with tens of thousands of attendees, other conferences focus on specific sub-disciplines in an informal, personalized setting. Small conferences are great places for networking, informal sharing of your data, etc. Some conferences have a national or international scope, while others have a regional scope. All of these variables have an impact on factors such as the location of the conference, the scope of the research presented, the cost of participation, etc.
- Presentation Opportunities
If you’re planning to present your research, you and any others who worked carried out the research should take this decision before the conference, often several months before, when you will typically have to submit papers for consideration for the presentation. Meet with all your mentors and colleagues to discuss the potential benefits and opportunities of showcasing your work at a certain international conference. In some disciplines, participants are allowed to submit short abstracts for poster presentation at conferences. In other fields, participants can submit a full article that will be peer-reviewed and published when accepted in some high-level Scopus journals and publications. The international conferences vary as per the discipline, which is why you’ve got to be sure to discuss the standards in your discipline with your research mentor as well as also any other co-authors who will have to offer their approval.
- Professional Development Opportunities
In addition to presentations and posters, conferences provide formal and informal opportunities for professional development and networking (such as meeting with and convincing editors of fast-publishing Scopus journals 2023 to publish your work). Review professional development opportunities at the conference you are attending and participate in opportunities that look interesting and match your goals.
- Virtual Opportunities
Many traditionally face-to-face conferences aim to keep the multiple purposes of their conferences – a place to showcase the latest work, networking, and professional development – in a virtual format. Some virtual conferences offer more focused areas of research than large meetings because they are generally easier to organize and manage. They also have fewer barriers to participation (allowing researchers around the world to attend), they are less expensive (in terms of money and environmental impact), and they are overall more equitable than in-person conferences. Consider all of these aspects when deciding to attend a conference.
- Tip #4
Don’t Break The Bank Just To Attend An International Conference 2023
Organizing and operating international conferences requires considerable investment in time, money, and resources. It’s the attendees that pay to run such events. While registration fees are often low for virtual conferences, in-person conferences can quickly become expensive due to the additional costs associated with travel, room and boarding costs, poster printing costs, childcare, appropriate clothing, etc. Therefore, it is important to have a fundraising strategy to attend a conference in person. Funding sources are available to offset some (or even all) of your expenses, and identifying where they exist early in the process will allow you to benefit from all of these opportunities.
- Grants & Waivers
First, some 2023 international conferences offer reduced registration or travel fees for students, participants from developing countries. An in-person conference may provide volunteer opportunities where you are compensated by waived registration fees or accommodation to work at the conference. Second, many academic institutions have funds earmarked for student travel. PNs may have a budget to support their students’ participation in a conference. Research grants and/or travel grants may be available at the departmental or college level.
Sometimes these opportunities aren’t widely advertised, so it’s always recommended to ask around. If you do not have a guide/mentor, it may be appropriate to ask the department head to help you navigate your research. Student clubs and organizations may also be funded to support students presenting research in an area relevant to the group’s goals. Third, professional organizations, often the same societies hosting the conference, can provide support for student travel at the company, division, and regional chapter level.
- Reimbursements
It is important to note that many of these in-person conference rewards and funding opportunities will often require you to make money and then get your money back after the conference. This means that you will have to put in things like plane tickets, hotel reservations, etc., on your own credit card, then submit receipts for reimbursement. You should collect the receipts for all the expenses that you incur as part of your entire conference participating experience so you can ask the funder for details on reimbursement.
- Tip #5
Do Your Homework On How To Get The Maximum Benefit Out Of Every Session That You Plan On Attending
Science communication occurs in a number of ways during an international conference. Both formal and informal mechanisms for learning and presenting research exist in most high-level 2023 international conferences. When it comes to formal mechanisms, there are a number of ways in which participants can communicate their research findings. While some are invited to deliver keynote presentations that offer a field perspective or cover a wide range of subjects, other speakers are selected to deliver technical presentations based on submitted abstracts or full papers. Opening speeches and technical presentations offer time for questions at the end, and participants can queue themselves in front of either one or a couple of microphones, depending on the number of participants. Finally, poster presentations provide a more interactive way to chat with researchers, where participants introduce themselves and chat with the authors standing in front of their posters.
- Specialty Sessions That Follow The Main Event
2022 International conferences have begun featuring workshops, tutorials, and other unique sessions either before or after the conclusion of the conferences in the very same venue. These topics may be even more focused than those in the conference or involve emerging concepts in the discipline. There may also be forums organized by graduate / undergraduate student associations designed for students. It is important to note, however, that in order to attend many of these events, registering for them even before the main conference, is required.
- Spend Your Free Time To Recharge Yourself
Be aware that it is often impossible to see everything – the conference can have several conflicting sessions. Conferencing days for such events are typically lengthy, and you must take the time to rest and recharge your batteries. When making a conference plan to prioritize what you want to see, be guided by the conference schedule. Taking notes is crucial to making sure that you record every point of significance made during that event. Upon referring to these notes, later on, you will find that you’ve managed to record all the knowledge that was shared during the event – making the time that you spent attending the event incredibly useful.
- Social Events
As part of in-person conferences these days, there are a number of informal ways in which participants can interact with fellow researchers and gain more insights about their work. Researchers seem to have a common craving for caffeine, and coffee breaks are a staple at every conference. A lot of conferences offer participants some snacks and beverages in between sessions so they can refresh themselves. There are events that also offer breakfast or lunch. Many conferences have an excursion-type event which can either be an evening banquet, a trip to a tourist attraction, a social event hosted by a sponsor, and so on. There may also be a career expo, special meetings for beginners, or meetings for a particular interest or affinity group. Take the opportunity to find other participants with similar interests, backgrounds, and experiences.
- Easy Access To Learning Material Online
Online events have the huge advantage that the conferences are almost always recorded (even when presented synchronously to all participants). Additionally, sometimes conferences will rebroadcast speeches twelve hours later for attendees in different time zones. Conference material often remains on the virtual platform after the conference ends, allowing participants to watch and review the conferences at their leisure. Aside from formal presentations, webinars and online conferences these days feature interactive technologies for networking events, poster presentations, and other social events. Some digital platforms provide mechanisms for asking questions and continuing discussions after a conference concludes. Take advantage of the interactive portions of an upcoming conference 2023 that can help support your learning and professional development.
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