By Ambar Maldonado Rodriguez, PhD student at McGill University
In 2024, I had the opportunity to attend two international conferences with partial funding from the QCBS. One was the biennial conference of the Society for Marine Mammalogy in Perth, Australia, and the other was ArcticNet’s Arctic Change Conference in Ottawa, Canada. While I presented similar work in both, sharing my research on the trophic ecology of North Atlantic sperm whales, my experiences were quite different given the nature of each conference. Both experiences taught me a lot, however, both on the importance of science communication and on the research going on in my fields. I compiled here some advice that I found useful during both conferences and that I think could be helpful for any student presenting at or attending a conference for the first time.
- Prepare your poster or presentation well in advance
Preparing your poster or presentation well in advance will help ensure that you are fully satisfied and proud of the work you are sharing and thus remove some stress on the day of the event. It will give you an opportunity to show your work to your peers and supervisors and get feedback from them on what could be improved. You often have to upload your posters and presentations to the conference site ahead of time, so starting them early will prevent you from having to rush and submit something you end up unsatisfied with.
- Practice your talk with people from different backgrounds
Whether it is your presentation talk or a speech for your poster, it is a good idea to give your talk to a variety of people from different backgrounds to ensure that your explanations are clear for people unfamiliar with your work. While it is useful to get feedback from your lab members, it is also a good idea to hear what your friends and family think, as a presentation in an international setting will often have an audience of diverse backgrounds. Practicing multiple times will also help you feel more comfortable and relaxed on the day of!
- Check the conference requirements and guidelines
Usually, the conference site will offer information to presenters on their guidelines and requirements. Always make sure to check these before you start working on your poster or presentation and again once you’re done and are ready to submit your work. This will help avoid awkward and stressful situations such as your presentation not running adequately or your poster not fitting in the space provided.
- Check for any traveling requirements/visas
You may need specific travel documents/visas for attending international conferences and it’s always a good idea to do some thorough research on this months in advance, as paperwork can take quite a while.
- Do some research ahead of time
Conferences can be quite busy and sometimes overwhelming, so it’s a good idea to look at the schedule and figure out the talks and events you want to attend well in advance and mark them down on your calendar. You can also have a look at the presenters list to see if anyone you would like to connect with will be attending. This is especially useful if you’re thinking about the next steps in your academic career!
- Don’t be afraid of talking to people
People attending these conferences are often very keen on meeting new people in the field. If you would like to talk to someone, whether it is about their work or yours, don’t be afraid to approach them. Conferences are a great place to network and to find people working on a similar topic to yours, which can be very helpful for throwing ideas around.
- Don’t skip the poster sessions!
A lot of times, you can learn about new interesting work in your field by walking through the poster section. A lot of new and upcoming research projects will be presented here, and it’s a great chance to chat with people in a more relaxed setting than in the Q&A part of a talk.
- Ensure you get some rest and enjoy!
While it can be tempting to attend every talk, poster session, and social event during a conference, remember to take it easy and have some breaks as well. International conferences are often multi-day events, and they can get quite tiring if they last all day. Make the most of it and enjoy while also taking breaks to recover.
About the author:
Ambar is a PhD student working under the supervision of Dr. Melissa McKinney in the Ecological Tracers Lab of McGill University. Her research focuses on the trophic ecology, contaminant loads, and nutritional value of odontocetes in the North Atlantic.
You give very good advices, than you.