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Organizing a Conference. What is a conference?. A conference is a gathering of people with a common interest or background, with the purpose of allowing them to meet one another and to learn about and discuss issues, ideas, and work that focus on a topic of mutual concern.
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What is a conference? • A conference is a gathering of people with a common interest or background, with the purpose of allowing them to meet one another and to learn about and discuss issues, ideas, and work that focus on a topic of mutual concern. • There are different types of conferences: • Academic. • Professional association. • Training. • Issue- or problem-related.
Why organize a conference? • There’s an issue that needs examining. • The field needs a conference. • Your organization or group wants to start an annual gathering. • There’s a crisis or opportunity that should be addressed. • You want to establish the legitimacy of the field. • Feedback from the field or the community demands it.
Why organize a conference? • A funder demands it. • You want to enlist people to advance the field, either through their work or through advocacy. • It’s a matter of prestige, credibility, or credentials for you or your organization. • It’s part of your job.
Who might organize a conference? • Professional associations and organizations. • Government agencies. • Coalitions. • Individual organizations. • Educational institutions. • Advocacy or community activist groups. • A group with a stake or interest in the subject of the conference.
When should you organize a conference? • When you want to educate the field, a particular group, or the public about an issue. • When you want to gather people with expertise to address an issue that needs to be addressed, or to work on a problem. • When new work in the field needs to be publicized. • When you want to energize or reenergize people about their work. • Annually, to bring the field, profession, coalition, or interest group together to learn, network, celebrate successes, and work through challenges.
How do you organize a conference? • Create an infrastructure by: • Choosing an organizing team or committee. • Appointing a coordinator. • Setting up a communication system.
How do you organize a conference? • Plan the conference by: • Agreeing on the purpose of the conference. • Identifying your target audience. • Setting a length and date. • Planning the content. • Addressing logistics. • Clarifying coordination and troubleshooting.
What to do • Publicize the conference. • Register participants. • Recruit presenters. • Run the conference. • Evaluate the conference.