Conference survival guide

Conferences should be inspiring and rewarding but all too often they are stressful and overwhelming. Why do we remember the awkward conversations rather than the brilliant talks?

This lively, practical session helps you maximise the benefits of attending a conference. It’s not just about the presentations, it’s also about talking to strangers to increase your professional connections.

Through interactive exercises you will learn to:

• design and deliver engaging talks
• create an effective poster and attract attention
• network confidently without feeling like an imposter
• promote yourself without sounding pushy
• follow-up after the event to turn brief encounters into lasting connections.

This session equips you with tools to ensure you leave your next conference with more than just a tote bag and mild exhaustion.

This session is perfect for researchers at any career stage, technical and professional services staff.

This session is run by Dr David Jones. David is a research entomologist. After four postdoc contracts in the UK and overseas, he is now a Scientific Associate at the Natural History Museum in London and an external lecturer at Imperial College. For the last 12 years David has also been spending half his time running his own training company, delivering workshops at 16 universities. His workshops include How to Write Research Papers, How to Peer Review Manuscripts for Journals, and Presentation Skills.

Send any questions to Yasmine and the team via research-culture-event@bristol.ac.uk