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15 Best Tips for Presenting at a Conference

Published on 18 Nov 2021

Presenting at a conference is an important part of a researcher’s life: it allows you to share all the work you’ve been doing for months or years.

At the same time, it also exposes some intimate aspects of yourself to the outside world, like your thought process, your level of knowledge on a topic, or your ability to structure ideas.

I personally found myself frightened about presenting on multiple occasions. I remember my first seminar at the beginning of my master's degree in biochemistry. Coming from a bachelor in ecology, I felt like an imposter in the new department and was scared others would judge my level of knowledge or the quality of my presentation. Of course, these were only negative projections I was making in my mind, but they reflect the stressful vibe one can feel when preparing to give a talk.

On the positive side, a successful presentation leads to a better understanding of your work by the audience. This generates insightful discussions that can provide ideas about what the next steps of your research should be or clues to solve roadblocks.

It also leaves a good impression on the work done at your lab which can attract new collaborators. Also, getting your work noticed, especially at large conferences, can lead to your publications being more cited. If you’re a student, you can be rewarded with a presentation prize that will boost your curriculum when applying for scholarships.

Above all, learning to communicate, especially to the general public, is a valued skill.

So how can you nail your next presentation? There are no magic pills, but in this article, we’ll share some important tips to help you deliver the best presentation at your next event.

1- Do not start by working on your slides

It is very easy to get lost in your slides if you do not plan first. That is why you need to outline your key ideas and the order in which you want to present them BEFORE jumping into building slides in PowerPoint (or another platform).

You can start with bullet points, a flowchart, or something similar. The crucial part here is to make sure you are laying out the information and not just throwing it on the slides as they come to your mind. It is easy to get lost if you just keep adding slide after slide without any concern for length and/or connections between the information.

You can use sticky notes, paper planners, online flowchart generators, or other tools to help you in the layout phase.

Then, equally important to the key ideas is how you tie all of that content together. You should plan a logical transition and a progression between each idea. This will help you define a common thread and establish the flow of your presentation. Ultimately, it will help the audience capture the message you’re sharing.

In summary, knowing what you want to talk about is key. So before working on your slide deck and your handouts, develop this layout that highlights and connects the information you want to share.

2- Have a duration in mind

You’ll have a limited amount of time to get your message across, so you have to plan your presentation around that time frame. If you have 15 minutes to present your work, plan a presentation that lasts slightly less than that time limit.

Another tip for presentations is to use a timer while presenting to ensure you don’t go overtime.

A lot of people do not plan their time wisely and end up skipping slides in their presentation or going overtime. And guess what? Your audience knows when you skip content because you ran out of time. It comes off as unprofessional and may affect the way people see your work. So take your time preparing your presentation around your time constraints.

If your initial mockup is longer than what it should be, start by analyzing what information could be deleted or ways to get the information across using fewer words. 

It’s often just a matter of focusing on the details that matter the most. Don’t explain all the details of the methodology or the results if it doesn’t add to the story. Keep that for smaller group discussions or during the Q&A period. 

3- Use visuals to your advantage

Visuals are a must in any presentation. Whether it is an image, a chart, a graphic, or a video, visuals help with interpretation and can be an effective way to get your message across or grab the audience's attention.

Just because you’re presenting at an academic conference, it doesn’t mean you can’t use images, videos, or even gifs to help get the message across.

Most people deal better with visuals than words , especially when the information is heavy with data and numbers. But even with visuals, remember to keep it simple. The whole purpose of using visual aids is to help your audience understand the message and not to confuse them with too much information. 

If you’re presenting figures or graphs, remember to use the pointer to highlight the key points while you explain your slide. This is something that is easy to forget when the stress level is high, but it can be a good way to stay grounded and focused on the presentation.

4- Know your audience

In any academic conference, knowing your audience puts you one step closer to delivering an effective presentation. Do your research when starting to prepare your presentation.

Skimming the proceedings of past editions of a conference can reveal past participant lists and their profile. Different conferences have different proportions of undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, or principal investigators. Knowing the proportions of each category can indicate the level of knowledge on certain topics and if you need to spend time explaining certain areas so they understand the rest of the presentation or not.

If you find the abstracts, the Powerpoints, or the recordings of talks from previous editions, it can also help you adjust the depth in which you can go when explaining certain concepts.

Do not fall under the trap of assuming your audience knows nothing about your research subject. If they are at your research conference, it is most likely that they possess knowledge of (and interest in) what you are talking about. So, skip the basics that everyone knows if you feel you can.

Use jargon that is easily understood by the community at large and make sure you define less common abbreviations.

Knowing your audience is not always an easy task. If you’re not sure if your audience is familiar with a specific topic, don't be afraid to ask them! It will make everyone feel more involved and you will get their attention for the rest of the presentation. The bottom line, adapt your message to the audience.

5- Practice, practice, and practice again

No one should know your presentation better than you. When preparing for a particular conference, rehearse your talking points out loud and make sure you feel 100% comfortable with the information laid out on your slides. 

In addition, make sure the key ideas and the logical transition between them are crystal clear. One of the worst things that can happen to presenters is getting lost in their own presentation. 

You should practice your speech out loud to become familiar with the words as this will help your tone and confidence. When you sound confident, people are keener to listen to what you are saying.

One additional common but useful tip is to record yourself while practicing. It will help you know where you're lacking and what needs to be improved. 

 For example, some people tend to talk really fast or jump on sentences while others tend to ignore full stops. No matter what the issues are, recording yourself is a great tactic to find and address them.

6- Present it to a friend or colleague

Outside of practicing it out loud on your own, practice it in front of your colleagues. It will give you an experience that will resemble the real presentation the most.

While you present, notice their facial expressions. They can reveal parts of your presentation that are unclear. Tell them not to interrupt you during the presentation, but tell them to note down their suggestions or questions for the end. Make sure to use a timer to measure how you’re doing on time.

Some people like to present to someone completely detached from the topic. The idea is that if people who are not completely familiar with the subject can follow your presentation, people in the field should be able to easily follow it as well. 

No matter which option you choose, this exercise will help if you have difficulties speaking in public. Do not be afraid of doing these multiple times before your presentation and always ask for honest feedback. The more you practice, the more confident and more fluent you will be.

During my Ph.D., we often presented to our lab members and went through a Q&A section. Not only was it a good opportunity to practice the presenting skills, but it was also a moment to discuss specific aspects and prepare for potential questions. I remember in some instances, the feedback led to reshuffling the ideas completely in a way that made more sense.

7- Appearances matter

Even though people are coming to your presentation because they are interested in your research, appearances matter. The way you speak, how you interact with your audience, and even what you wear, make an impact. Make sure you wear comfortable clothes. 

 If you’re presenting at an online event, make sure the lighting comes from in front of you and not from behind or it will make your face appear darker. Not seeing a presenter clearly can distract the audience and decrease attention.

Also make sure there isn’t anything distracting in the background, like television or someone walking. The best background is usually solid-colored walls.

8- Sleep and eat well before the event

Get a good night of sleep the night before the event. You will feel well-rested and ready to tackle the presentation. It can be tempting to practice your slides and go over your presentation late at night, but it is sometimes better to get a good night's sleep.

In addition, make sure to eat well. You don’t want to feel dizzy or be occupied thinking about food when you should be thinking about the presentation.

Lastly, have a bottle of water close to you while you’re presenting. That will allow you to take pauses when needed and give your audience time to absorb the information after you jump into the next slide or argument.

9- Have a backup

If you have your presentation stored on a hard drive, make sure to have an extra copy on the cloud and vice-versa. Hard drives can break and technical difficulties can occur with cloud storage, so always have a backup just in case. 

Depending on the guidelines of the event, you can also send a copy of your presentation to the organizer and/or colleague. Send yourself a copy of the presentation by email as well.

A lot of people also have a paper copy of their presentation. That’s the last case alternative but also nice to have. If you are in a poster presentation, this may be harder to achieve.

If you have videos in your presentation, check out if the platform and/or venue can display that, especially the audio (if it’s important). Not all software or places have the necessary (or compatible) technology to display your presentation as they should.

10- Use body language

Body language has an essential role in presentations, especially online ones. Make sure you use body language the right way, otherwise it can be distracting for your audience. That includes fidgeting, repeatedly fixing your hair or clothes, among other things.

In academic conferences, the presentations are usually heavy on the information and data side, so it is important that presenters take advantage of tone of voice, gestures, and other body language resources to get their point across.

It is best to keep eye contact with people in the audience. This way, they will feel you are talking TO them and not AT them. But make sure to alternate and not stare at one single person throughout the whole presentation. 

Be aware of your posture and if you have any notes, make sure to either hold them or have them at eyesight. It is common to have notecards during a conference talk, but it is important to know your presentation and not depend on the notes.

11- Encourage your audience to interact with you

A big part of your presentation is for you to talk about your research. People are there to listen to you and absorb information, but they are also there to make the most out of the experience, and that includes engaging and asking questions.

Prepare yourself to answer questions from the audience. It is impossible to cover everything in a short presentation, so try to cover as much as possible and if there are questions you think will arise from the audience, prepare to answer them.

Depending on the type of presentation and what’s expected, you can keep questions for the end or allow questions during the presentation.

If there is a question that you do not have the answer to, it’s ok to say it. It’s better to offer to look more into it and get back to them rather than trying to improvise an answer. Provide your contact information in the final slide or at the end of your presentation. Some participants can reach out to you if they have any questions, suggestions, or opportunities that could be beneficial to you.

If you are giving an online presentation, invite participants to ask a question through the conference platform or website. For example, Fourwaves has a built-in Q&A section on each presentation page where presenters and participants can interact.

12- Structure your presentation and let your audience know

Let your audience know what you will be covering in your presentation. Have a clear outline of the topics and make sure to have this journey clear so the audience understands where you are taking them.

You can start the presentation by highlighting the key messages, but don’t forget to have a summary at the end (your conclusion), where you reiterate the main points of your presentation.

13- Pay attention to design

Adhere to the following basic design principles when building your slides. Avoid distracting colors and mixing more than 2 colors in each slide. If you use a light background, you should use a dark font and vice-versa. Make sure the font size is also big enough and that you are not stuffing too much information into a slide.

A good rule of thumb for your slides is to have about 5 bullet points on each one and give enough time for people to read through them if they need to. Most of the information should be coming out of your mouth and not described in the slides. The slides are just a summary (the bullet points) of what you will cover.

If you are adding visuals, make sure they are big enough so people can see them and they are not covering any information.

14- Take other presentations as an example

You have probably been part of dozens and dozens of presentations in a lifetime. Is there something you liked a lot in those or something you hated? If yes, write it down. If it is positive, strive to replicate that in your presentation. If it is negative, discard it.

If you are taking part in an annual event, you may be able to access presentations from the years before and draw conclusions from there. You can also look for similar poster presentations or templates and get inspiration from those.

Keep in mind that every person has a presentation style. Learn the basic guidelines and find what works best for you.

15- Rely on storytelling

Storytelling is relying on stories (narrative) to talk about something (e.g. personal anecdotes, metaphors, comparisons, etc.). People rely on stories for mnemonic purposes and most of the time, it is easier to remember a story or an analogy than it is to remember a specific situation.

No matter what the topic is, analogies make it easier for people to understand facts. Whenever possible, try to use a metaphor or a comparison

Bonus tip - Remember to stop and breathe during your presentation

It’s normal to feel stressed even if you’re super well prepared and that you know your topic inside out.

Make sure to take the time to pause in between slides and to take a good slow deep breath. It will help you stay focused throughout the presentation.

Practice this during your rehearsals. Not talking for 3-4 seconds can seem long for you, but your audience will appreciate it and it will help you feel calmer.

At the core, preparing for a conference presentation is no different than preparing for any type of public speaking assignment. You need to understand the topic very well, research and practice what you are going to say, and know your audience, among other things.  

Most of all, remember: no one is born with great presentation skills, so give yourself room to improve.

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11 Tips for presenting at a conference

How to deliver an effective conference presentation (and beat those presenting nerves).

Presenting at a conference is a core part of scientific communication for any researcher or academic. Finding the right conference with the right audience and successfully communicating your latest findings is a great way to enhance your career prospects and, in turn, learn about the newest developments in your research field.

Before we jump in, an important note on fake conferences. There has been a growth in the number of predatory conferences in recent years, so before you register to attend and present your work at any conference, familiarise yourself with ways to tell a predatory conference from a legitimate one .    

Developing a conference presentation is no different to developing any other presentation – you need to be well prepared, consistent throughout and ensure you’re able to resonate with your audience.

One of the biggest challenges in giving a good presentation is managing your nerves. Even the most experienced and respected speakers and performers get a bundle of nerves before they start, so you’re in good company. The good news is that the techniques of an effective presenter can be practised. So how can this be accomplished? Here are 11 tips that will help you give an effective conference presentation.

1. Don’t touch that slide deck just yet

The first thing you need to know about creating an effective conference presentation is not to dive head first into your slides.

It’s hard to beat the feeling of getting an email letting you know that the proposal you worked tirelessly on for a conference has been accepted. Finding out that your work has been well received by a committee can mean a huge amount, especially when you’re driven by your passion for it, like the majority of researchers out there.

So it’s super easy to just start adding slide after slide to your presentation. When I first presented at a conference, we ended up with 40 slides for a 15-minute presentation. And I was lucky enough to be working with some more experienced researchers that reeled in my confusing and inconsistent slides.

Once we started again and made a clear outline first. I simply sketched it out, slide by slide and got back into a flow,  but this time it was in a much more controlled manner. Take your time and make a strong outline to keep you on track. Use this checklist to keep you on the right road.

2. Build your presentation within time constraints

Ensuring your timing is right is so important when presenting at a conference. If you have ten minutes to present, prepare ten minutes of material . No more. If you don’t practice your timing, you may not get a chance to highlight your findings and recommendations – the most important part.

In my experience conference organisers are usually quite clear about how much time you have allocated. The best presenters know exactly how much time they have to work with, then they tailor their presentation to fit the time and keep an eye on the time throughout.

And if you are running out of time, stop. Jump past a couple of slides if you need to make one last point.

3. Use visuals to illuminate, not obscure

Images are key elements to any presentation. Whether it’s a pie chart to show percentages, or a strong image to convey a point, visuals can be much more effective than words. They help reinforce or complement the ideas or points you’re trying to get across. Your audience may be able to understand your message a little easier when it’s presented with visuals that relate to it.

But remember to keep your visuals clean and simple. Some of the worst conference presentations I’ve seen are ones with complex imagery that forces the audience to try and figure out how the image and the speaker’s point are related.

4. Aim for simplicity and consistency

Don’t be afraid of using some text and bullet points if you need to make a point that isn’t easy to communicate visually, or if you’re discussing steps or sequences.

But use them to communicate your point to the audience, not as a prompt for what you want to say. That’s what your speaker notes are for. You want your audience to listen to you instead of reading from your slides, so less is more in terms of the text on the slides.

Inconsistency in slides is a subtle thing but can take away from a presentation very easily. While slides with different colours may look nice, they may be distracting to your audience. Use a consistent template with the same fonts to make it easier for your audience to follow along.  And remember, your audience will view your conference presentation from a distance, so use large clear fonts and as few words as possible in your slides.

5. Know your research audience

One of the most common mistakes I have seen being made by conference presenters is presenting a roomful of people with information they already have . A great way to make this mistake is spending the majority of your presentation going over the existing literature and giving background information on your work.

Just like when you’re in the audience at a conference, researchers are there to learn about your new and exciting research, not to hear a summary of old work. The worst speakers assume that the audience doesn’t know anything and need educating.

Before you begin speaking to a group, find out what they already know and where they are up to with your topic. It’s not easy to get details on all delegates but you will know the plenary sessions and whoever you have networked with before this. Most conferences use mobile apps now, and these are a great way to get an insight to exactly who is attending the conference and what their speciality topics are from the programme.

This can give you a good idea of how much background you need to give so that your key presentation points will make sense. A good rule of thumb is that if you’re giving a 15-minute presentation, by the 6th minute you should be discussing your data or case study.

6. Rehearse your presentation

I shouldn’t even need to include this on the list, but so many people fail to do enough of this. Rehearsing is crucial to making you feel comfortable with every word you are going to say. Rehearse your paper aloud in private and in front of a friend. This can feel a bit embarrassing, but reading it through in your head never corresponds to the time it takes to read it aloud in public. The more times you say the words aloud, the more you will be familiar with it. And if you are familiar with what you’re saying, your confidence in your conference presentation will increase.

When I’m practising for a conference presenting slot, I rehearse out loud in my bedroom. It feels strange but it works. If you’re feeling self-conscious about this (or don’t want your housemates to overhear) you could play some music at the same time.

Another strategy that works well is recording yourself . This lets you see where you’re doing well and where you need to improve. And if being recorded makes you feel under pressure, this helps mimic the actual feelings you’ll have while presenting in front of a real live audience. So you’ll get a good idea for how you will perform on the day.

After I’ve recorded myself, I usually ask a friend or colleague to listen and be critical of my efforts. Getting grilled beforehand really helps ease any presenting nerves or anxiety you will get if you’re unlucky enough to get grilled after your presentation.

7. Prepare, prepare, prepare

Preparation for anything is key, especially for conference presentations.  You’ve prepared enough to find the right conference , and to submit a proposal worthy of acceptance, now you need to prepare to present it.  

Know your slides inside out. You should use them as a guide for your presentation, not an autocue.

Think about your clothing. Wear something that makes you feel comfortable when facing your audience. If you’re not sure what clothes are appropriate, check the dress code with the organisers or with colleagues.

Conference session rooms can get stuffy, so if you’re someone who sweats when they’re nervous, choose clothing that won’t show it. And don’t wear something that’s awkward and restrictive, even if you think it will project a confident image. If you’re not comfortable, you won’t look or feel confident.

Try to get a good night’s sleep before your presentation; everything looks better and more manageable when you’re well rested.

8. Back up your backup

A good way to think about your presentation technology requirements is this: any tech you want to use can and will fail. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility for your memory card or flash drive not to work when the big moment comes. Or for your laptop to decide to reboot. Or for the conference’s presentation facilities to fail.

Arm yourself with a back-up plan so you aren’t left stranded if things go awry. As well as following the conference instructions to submit your presentation online or at their drop-off desk, copy your slides to an online deck service and upload a copy of your presentation to Dropbox . Then email yourself any links you need so they’re within arms reach if you need them. Take no chances.

And if you have any specific audio-visual requirements, make them known to the conference organiser well in advance. If they don’t ask, tell them anyway. Never assume that they’ll just know . Not all conference venues can accommodate the latest technology.

9. Get to know the presenting space

One thing presenters often forget to do before starting a presentation is sussing out the room they’ll be speaking in. If you get the opportunity, get down to the room where you’ll be presenting ahead of time and check it out. This will save you from the last-minute panic of running across an unfamiliar campus. Trying to find the room you’re supposed to be in.

Most rooms will be kitted out with everything you need to present. But there’s no harm in making sure all the equipment you need is there and works. Take no risks and you’ll eliminate nasty last-minute surprises.

Get comfortable with the presentation area, walk around it until you feel familiar with the environment in the room. This will save you the shock of unexpectedly being faced with a large/tiny room. Bring your set of notes with you, and make sure you can read them in the lighting conditions in the room. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need – if there are open windows that are bothering you, ask for them to be closed.

10. Use body language to your advantage

Body language has an important role in presentations, especially at academic conferences. There are usually a lot of facts and findings to be highlighted in a conference presentation, and you need to use all the presenting tools available to you to remain interesting and effective throughout. Your gestures, tone of voice and positivity can be seen through your body language. And may determine how engaged your audience is.

When you’re speaking, a few body language tips can help improve your rapport with your audience. For your audience to engage, it’s important that they can see you. And that you look at them and make eye contact. Try to spread your gaze, rather than staring at one person. And avoid focusing intently on your laptop screen, your notes, or the floor. This can give the impression that you’re nervous or uninterested, and can also prevent you from projecting your voice clearly.

If possible, don’t stand behind a lectern or hold any notes. Instead, keep a straight, relaxed, open posture, and feel free to be comfortable with the full stage. And move around the stage a little as you speak.

The great presenters use gestures to emphasise their points and to highlight their visual material to guide the audience’s attention. When you see a speaker rooted rigidly to the spot and without positive body language the presentation loses a lot of its emphasis. Avoid other distracting movements, such as repeatedly putting your hands in and out of your pockets, jingling coins in your pocket, or fiddling with pens, clothing, or props such as laser pointers.

11. Encourage questions and discussion

If you manage your time well, you’ll have sufficient time left for questions. Or an open discussion after your conference presentation. Expect questions, but don’t worry if there aren’t any. If your audience is reluctant to ask questions, a good session chair will usually pose a question. Presentation questions are a good thing . They give you a chance to elaborate on something that wasn’t clear. Or address the topic that everyone wants to know but you forgot to include.

Answering questions can be nerve-wracking because of the fear that you might not be able to answer them. But when the audience is asking questions, it’s generally out of genuine interest. Don’t trip you up, so see it as a good opportunity to explore how you can expand your work.

Though the majority of questions in a conference Q&A session are fairly benign, like me, you could find yourself at the end of a grilling (perhaps from someone who’s research you’ve had the temerity to challenge) after you present at a conference. If you think this might happen to you, it’s worth doing some reading on how to respond to destructive criticism from peers.

And if you’re feeling nervous about facing tough questions. Here’s something that might help: if you’re attending with someone you know (and trust), ask them to ask you a question. Some people even like to agree in advance what the question will be. This can simply help get the ball rolling and boost your confidence.

And finally, a trick I learnt from an experienced researcher is to keep a notebook and pen handy. And to make notes of the good questions to reflect on later.

Presenting skills are for life

Once you’ve mastered the tips above, you’ll be all set to give a great conference presentation. And the more you do, the easier they’ll get. Until you’ll reach a point when you can’t remember how nervous they used to make you.

One final note on audience size: never take it personally. Some of the best papers out there were presented to small audiences. Nobody ever asks how many people were in the audience. And you don’t have to state it on your academic CV. No matter what size the audience, a great presentation is a great presentation.

Brian Campbell

Brian is a data-driven marketeer, and responsible for helping people find Ex Ordo. He works part-time as a lecturer at the National University of Ireland, Galway, and loves quizzing his students on the latest business trends and insights. Brian enjoys hanging out with his little nephews, and playing and watching sports. He also likes to keep a keen eye on the scholarly research space, and has co-organised an academic conference to boot.

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What Is A Symposium Presentation?

Are you curious about what a symposium presentation is? Well, let’s dive right in! A symposium presentation is a type of public speaking where experts come together to share their knowledge and insights on a particular topic.

Picture this: Imagine attending a mini-conference, but instead of sitting through long lectures, you get to interact with various professionals and hear their perspectives on a subject that interests you.

Symposium presentations are not only informative but also engaging, as they encourage dialogue and discussion among participants. So, if you’re ready to discover more about this fascinating form of communication, keep reading!

Table of Contents

What is a Symposium Presentation?

A symposium presentation is a formal academic event where experts gather to discuss and exchange knowledge about a specific topic or research area. It involves a series of presentations by different speakers who present their research findings, ideas, or perspectives on the chosen subject. Symposium presentations typically take place at conferences, academic institutions, or professional gatherings, providing a platform for researchers, scholars, and experts to share their work and engage in scholarly discussions.

These presentations aim to foster intellectual dialogue, promote collaboration, and disseminate the latest research in a particular field. Symposium presentations are an integral part of academic and professional conferences, as they allow participants to learn from experts, gain insights into new developments, and explore diverse perspectives on a given topic. These events often attract a wide range of attendees, including students, researchers, professors, industry professionals, and anyone interested in the subject matter.

During a symposium presentation, each speaker typically has a fixed amount of time to deliver their talk, which is followed by a question and answer session or a panel discussion. The presentations may be accompanied by visual aids such as slideshows, videos, or handouts to enhance understanding and engagement. Symposium presentations provide a platform for individuals to showcase their research, receive feedback, and network with other professionals in their field.

The Purpose of Symposium Presentations

Symposium presentations serve several important purposes within the academic and professional community:

• Knowledge Sharing: Symposium presentations provide a platform for experts to share their research findings, innovative ideas, and insights with the wider community. This enables others to learn from their work and stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in their field.
• Peer Review: Presenting at a symposium allows researchers to receive feedback and constructive criticism from their peers. This feedback helps refine their work, identify areas for improvement, and validate the credibility of their research.
• Networking: Symposium presentations offer opportunities for networking and collaboration with like-minded professionals in the same field. These events enable participants to connect with potential collaborators, mentors, or employers.
• Professional Development: Presenting at a symposium enhances an individual’s communication and presentation skills. It provides an opportunity to practice public speaking, refine their research communication abilities, and gain confidence in presenting their work to an audience.

Tips for Delivering an Effective Symposium Presentation

Delivering a successful symposium presentation requires careful preparation and effective communication. Here are some tips to help you make the most of your presentation:

• Know your audience: Understand the background, knowledge, and interests of your audience to tailor your presentation accordingly. Use language and examples that are accessible and engaging to the attendees.
• Structure your presentation: Organize your content in a logical and coherent manner, using clear headings and subheadings. Develop a narrative flow that guides your audience through your research or ideas.
• Use visual aids: Incorporate visual aids such as slides, diagrams, or videos to support your presentation and enhance audience comprehension. Ensure that your visuals are clear, concise, and visually appealing.
• Practice, practice, practice: Rehearse your presentation multiple times to improve your delivery and build confidence. Pay attention to your tone of voice, body language, and timing to ensure a smooth and engaging presentation.
• Engage with your audience: Encourage audience participation by allowing time for questions, comments, and discussions. Be prepared to answer inquiries and engage in meaningful dialogue with your audience.
• Stick to the time limit: Respect the allotted time for your presentation and ensure that you stay within the given timeframe. Practice pacing yourself and be mindful of the time constraints to avoid rushing or going over time.

Benefits of Symposium Presentations

Participating in or attending symposium presentations can offer a range of benefits to both presenters and audience members:

• Knowledge Expansion: Symposium presentations expose attendees to a diverse range of research, ideas, and perspectives, expanding their knowledge and understanding of a particular field.
• Networking Opportunities: Symposium presentations provide a valuable networking platform, allowing researchers and professionals to connect with peers, potential collaborators, or employers.
• Critical Thinking: Engaging in symposium presentations encourages critical thinking and intellectual discourse. Attendees are exposed to different research methodologies, interpretations, and debates, fostering a more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.
• Career Development: Presenting at symposiums can enhance an individual’s reputation and visibility within their field, potentially leading to career opportunities, collaborations, or invitations to future events.

Symposium Presentations: A Closer Look

Now that we have explored the basics of symposium presentations, let’s delve deeper into various aspects associated with this academic and professional practice. Here are three relevant aspects related to symposium presentations:

The Importance of Research Conferences

Research conferences play a crucial role in fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange, and professional growth within academia and various industries. These conferences offer a platform for scholars, researchers, and practitioners to come together, share their findings, discuss trends, and explore new avenues of research. Symposium presentations are a fundamental component of research conferences, allowing experts to present their work and engage in meaningful discussions with their peers.

Benefits of Attending Research Conferences

Attending research conferences that feature symposium presentations can offer numerous advantages to participants:

• Networking Opportunities: Research conferences gather professionals from various institutions and disciplines, providing an ideal environment for networking, collaboration, and establishing new connections.
• Exposure to Cutting-Edge Research: Conferences showcase the latest research and trends in different fields, enabling attendees to stay informed about advancements beyond their immediate area of focus.
• Professional Development: Conferences often include workshops, panels, and keynote speeches that offer valuable insights and career development opportunities, allowing participants to enhance their skills and knowledge.
• Publishing Opportunities: Many research conferences include opportunities to present papers and publish in conference proceedings or special journal issues, contributing to the scholarly reputation and visibility of researchers.

Symposium Presentations in Different Disciplines

Symposium presentations are not limited to a specific academic discipline—they can be found in various fields, from humanities to sciences, business, and beyond. While the structure and format may differ across disciplines, the underlying purpose remains consistent: to facilitate the exchange of ideas and research findings. Symposium presentations in different disciplines showcase the diversity of scholarly pursuits and contribute to the broader knowledge base within each field.

Examples of Symposium Presentations in Different Disciplines

Here are a few examples of how symposium presentations are conducted in different disciplines:

• Science and Technology: Symposium presentations in scientific disciplines often focus on research methodologies, experimental findings, and cutting-edge innovations. They may involve data presentations, case studies, or demonstrations of scientific processes.
• Humanities and Social Sciences: Symposium presentations in humanities and social sciences may involve the analysis and interpretation of texts, historical events, cultural phenomena, or sociopolitical issues. These presentations may include literary analysis, qualitative research findings, or critical theory discussions.
• Business and Economics: Symposium presentations in the business and economics field may focus on market trends, economic models, or organizational management strategies. They may involve data analysis, statistical presentations, or case studies.

Interactive Elements in Symposium Presentations

In addition to traditional presentations, incorporating interactive elements into symposium presentations can enhance attendee engagement and foster a more dynamic learning environment. Interactive elements encourage audience participation, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas. They can take various forms, such as:

• Workshops: These sessions allow participants to actively engage in hands-on activities, discussions, or problem-solving exercises related to the topic of the symposium presentation.
• Panel Discussions: Panels bring together a group of speakers who engage in a moderated discussion on a specific theme or question. The audience can participate by asking questions or sharing their perspectives.
• Q&A Sessions: Allocating time for questions and answers after a presentation enables attendees to seek clarification, delve deeper into the topic, or engage in meaningful dialogue with the presenter.
• Poster Presentations: Poster sessions allow researchers to visually present their work in a concise and accessible format. Attendees can browse through the posters and engage in one-on-one discussions with the presenters.

By incorporating interactive elements, symposium presentations can transform into collaborative learning experiences that empower attendees to actively engage with the content and contribute to the overall discourse.

Key Factors for Successful Symposium Presentations

To ensure a successful symposium presentation, consider the following key factors:

Preparation

Give yourself ample time to prepare for your presentation. Start by organizing your content, developing a clear structure, and creating visually appealing visuals, if applicable. Practice your presentation multiple times to improve delivery and ensure you are confident with your content. Consider seeking feedback from colleagues or mentors to fine-tune your presentation.

Engage with your audience by delivering your presentation in an enthusiastic and passionate manner. Use language and examples that resonate with your audience and encourage their participation. Incorporate interactive elements to foster engagement and facilitate meaningful discussions.

Ensure that your presentation is clear, concise, and accessible. Avoid using jargon or technical terms without providing proper explanations. Use visuals and examples to simplify complex concepts and help your audience understand your ideas.

Time Management

Respect the allotted time for your presentation and plan accordingly. Practice pacing yourself to ensure that you stay within the given time frame and leave ample time for questions and discussion. Be mindful of the timing and avoid rushing through your content.

Flexibility

Be prepared to adapt and respond to the needs and interests of your audience. Anticipate questions, clarifications, or opposing viewpoints and be ready to address them. Stay open to feedback and be flexible in your approach to foster a constructive and collaborative learning environment.

Keeping these factors in mind while preparing and delivering your symposium presentation will help you make a lasting impact on your audience and contribute meaningfully to the exchange of knowledge within your academic or professional community.

Key Takeaways

• A symposium presentation is a type of academic talk or lecture given by experts in a specific field.
• It is usually delivered at a symposium, which is an event where researchers and professionals gather to share their latest findings and ideas.
• The purpose of a symposium presentation is to present research, share knowledge, and provoke discussion among the audience.
• Symposium presentations often include visual aids such as slides, graphs, or charts to enhance understanding.
• Attending a symposium presentation can be a great way to learn about the latest advancements in a particular field and network with other professionals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to our FAQ section on symposium presentations. Here, we’ll answer some common questions related to this topic. Whether you’re a student preparing for a symposium or simply curious about what it entails, we’ve got you covered!

1. How do you define a symposium presentation?

A symposium presentation is a formal talk or lecture given at a symposium, which is an event where experts in a particular field gather to discuss and share research or ideas. During a symposium presentation, speakers often present their research findings, insights, or perspectives on a specific topic to an audience.

These presentations are usually structured, well-prepared, and delivered in a professional manner. They can range from short presentations of 10-15 minutes to longer talks that may last up to an hour or more, depending on the format of the symposium.

2. What is the purpose of a symposium presentation?

The purpose of a symposium presentation is to share knowledge, research, and ideas with a specific audience. It allows speakers to present their work to their peers, gain feedback, and engage in discussions related to the topic being presented. Symposium presentations also provide an opportunity for attendees to learn from experts in the field and stay updated on the latest developments.

Besides knowledge sharing, symposium presentations can help build professional networks, establish credibility within a specific field, and promote collaboration among researchers and academics. They contribute to the overall progress and growth of a particular area of study or industry.

3. Do symposium presentations have specific guidelines or formats?

Yes, symposium presentations generally adhere to specific guidelines or formats set by the event organizers or the academic institution hosting the symposium. These guidelines may include the recommended length of the presentation, guidelines for visual aids such as slides or posters, and instructions on how to engage with the audience during Q&A sessions.

It’s essential for presenters to familiarize themselves with these guidelines and follow them closely to ensure their presentations align with the objectives and expectations of the symposium. This helps maintain a smooth flow throughout the event and allows for a cohesive experience for both presenters and attendees.

4. What are some tips for delivering an effective symposium presentation?

To deliver an effective symposium presentation, it’s crucial to prepare well in advance. Start by thoroughly researching the topic you’ll be presenting, organizing your content in a logical manner, and creating visual aids that support your main points. Practice your speech to ensure a confident and smooth delivery.

During the presentation, maintain a clear and engaging speaking style, making sure to speak audibly and at an appropriate pace. Interact with the audience by making eye contact and using body language to convey your message effectively. It can also be helpful to anticipate potential questions and prepare concise, well-thought-out answers in advance.

5. Are symposium presentations only for academic or research-related subjects?

No, symposium presentations are not limited to academic or research-related subjects. While they are commonly associated with scientific conferences or scholarly events, symposiums can cover a wide range of topics, including business, technology, arts, and more. Symposium presentations serve as a platform for experts or enthusiasts from various fields to share their knowledge, insights, and experiences with an interested audience.

Whether it’s discussing the latest findings in astrophysics, sharing innovative approaches to marketing strategies, or presenting artistic creations, symposium presentations can accommodate diverse subjects and provide valuable information to attendees from various backgrounds.

Symposium Sample Presentations

A symposium presentation is a type of public talk where experts share their knowledge on a specific topic. It’s like a mini conference, but with shorter talks. Symposiums aim to educate and engage the audience with different perspectives and ideas.

During a symposium presentation, each speaker gets a limited amount of time to discuss their research or findings. They use visual aids like slides to make their points clearer. Symposiums provide a platform for experts to exchange ideas, learn from each other, and inspire new thinking.

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Home Blog Business Conference Presentation Slides: A Guide for Success

Conference Presentation Slides: A Guide for Success

In our experience, a common error when preparing a conference presentation is using designs that heavily rely on bullet points and massive chunks of text. A potential reason behind this slide design mistake is aiming to include as much information as possible in just one slide. In the end, slides become a sort of teleprompter for the speaker, and the audience recalls boredom instead of an informative experience.

As part of our mission to help presenters deliver their message effectively, we have summarized what makes a good conference presentation slide, as well as tips on how to design a successful conference slide.

Table of Contents

What is a conference presentation

Common mistakes presenters make when creating conference presentation slides, how can a well-crafted conference presentation help your professional life, how to start a conference presentation, how to end a conference presentation, tailoring your message to different audiences, visualizing data effectively, engaging with your audience, designing for impact, mastering slide transitions and animation, handling time constraints, incorporating multimedia elements, post-presentation engagement, crisis management during presentations, sustainability and green presentations, measuring presentation success, 13 tips to create stellar conference presentations, final thoughts.

The Britannica Dictionary defines conferences as 

A formal meeting in which many people gather in order to talk about ideas or problems related to a particular topic (such as medicine or business), usually for several days.

We can then define conference presentations as the combination of a speaker, a slide deck , and the required hardware to introduce an idea or topic in a conference setting. Some characteristics differentiate conference presentations from other formats.

Time-restricted

Conference presentations are bounded by a 15-30 minute time limit, which the event’s moderators establish. These restrictions are applied to allow a crowded agenda to be met on time, and it is common to count with over 10 speakers on the same day.

To that time limit, we have to add the time required for switching between speakers, which implies loading a new slide deck to the streaming platform, microphone testing, lighting effects, etc. Say it is around 10-15 minutes extra, so depending on the number of speakers per day during the event, the time available to deliver a presentation, plus the questions & answers time.

Delivery format

Conferences can be delivered in live event format or via webinars. Since this article is mainly intended to live event conferences, we will only mention that the requirements for webinars are as follows:

• Voice-over or, best, speaker layover the presentation slides so the speaker interacts with the audience.
• Quality graphics.
• Not abusing the amount of information to introduce per slide.

On the other hand, live event conferences will differ depending on the category under which they fall. Academic conferences have a structure in which there’s a previous poster session; then speakers start delivering their talks, then after 4-5 speakers, we have a coffee break. Those pauses help the AV crew to check the equipment, and they also become an opportunity for researchers to expand their network contacts. 

Business conferences are usually more dynamic. Some presenters opt not to use slide decks, giving a powerful speech instead, as they feel much more comfortable that way. Other speakers at business conferences adopt videos to summarize their ideas and then proceed to speak.

Overall, the format guidelines are sent to speakers before the event. Adapt your presentation style to meet the requirements of moderators so you can maximize the effect of your message.

The audience

Unlike other presentation settings, conferences gather a knowledgeable audience on the discussed topics. It is imperative to consider this, as tone, delivery format, information to include, and more depend on this sole factor. Moreover, the audience will participate in your presentation at the last minute, as it is a common practice to hold a Q&A session. 

Mistake #1 – Massive chunks of text

Do you intend your audience to read your slides instead of being seduced by your presentation? Presenters often add large amounts of text to each slide since they need help deciding which data to exclude. Another excuse for this practice is so the audience remembers the content exposed.

Research indicates images are much better retained than words, a phenomenon known as the Picture Superiority Effect ; therefore, opt to avoid this tendency and work into creating compelling graphics.

Mistake #2 – Not creating contrast between data and graphics

Have you tried to read a slide from 4 rows behind the presenter and not get a single number? This can happen if the presenter is not careful to work with the appropriate contrast between the color of the typeface and the background. Particularly if serif fonts are used.

Use online tools such as WebAIM’s Contrast Checker to make your slides legible for your audience. Creating an overlay with a white or black transparent tint can also help when you place text above images.

Mistake #3 – Not rehearsing the presentation

This is a sin in conference presentations, as when you don’t practice the content you intend to deliver, you don’t have a measure of how much time it is actually going to take. 

PowerPoint’s rehearse timing feature can help a great deal, as you can record yourself practising the presentation and observe areas for improvement. Remember, conference presentations are time-limited , don’t disrespect fellow speakers by overlapping their scheduled slot or, worse, have moderators trim your presentation after several warnings.

Mistake #4 – Lacking hierarchy for the presented content

Looking at a slide and not knowing where the main point is discouraging for the audience, especially if you introduce several pieces of content under the same slide. Instead, opt to create a hierarchy that comprehends both text and images. It helps to arrange the content according to your narrative, and we’ll see more on this later on.

Consider your conference presentation as your introduction card in the professional world. Maybe you have a broad network of colleagues, but be certain there are plenty of people out there that have yet to learn about who you are and the work you produce.

Conferences help businesspeople and academics alike to introduce the results of months of research on a specific topic in front of a knowledgeable audience. It is different from a product launch as you don’t need to present a “completed product” but rather your views or advances, in other words, your contribution with valuable insights to the field.

Putting dedication into your conference presentation, from the slide deck design to presentation skills , is definitely worth the effort. The audience can get valuable references from the quality of work you are able to produce, often leading to potential partnerships. In business conferences, securing an investor deal can happen after a powerful presentation that drives the audience to perceive your work as the very best thing that’s about to be launched. It is all about how your body language reflects your intent, how well-explained the concepts are, and the emotional impact you can drive from it.

There are multiple ways on how to start a presentation for a conference, but overall, we can recap a good approach as follows.

Present a fact

Nothing grabs the interest of an audience quicker than introducing an interesting fact during the first 30 seconds of your presentation. The said fact has to be pivotal to the content your conference presentation will discuss later on, but as an ice-breaker, it is a strategy worth applying from time to time.

Ask a question

The main point when starting a conference presentation is to make an impact on the audience. We cannot think of a better way to engage with the audience than to ask them a question relevant to your work or research. It grabs the viewer’s interest for the potential feedback you shall give to those answers received.

Use powerful graphics

The value of visual presentations cannot be neglected in conferences. Sometimes an image makes a bigger impact than a lengthy speech, hence why you should consider starting your conference presentation with a photo or visual element that speaks for itself.

For more tips and insights on how to start a presentation , we invite you to check this article.

Just as important as starting the presentation, the closure you give to your conference presentation matters a lot. This is the opportunity in which you can add your personal experience on the topic and reflect upon it with the audience or smoothly transition between the presentation and your Q&A session.

Below are some quick tips on how to end a presentation for a conference event.

End the presentation with a quote

Give your audience something to ruminate about with the help of a quote tailored to the topic you were discussing. There are plenty of resources for finding suitable quotes, and a great method for this is to design your penultimate slide with an image or black background plus a quote. Follow this with a final “thank you” slide.

Consider a video

If we say a video whose length is shorter than 1 minute, this is a fantastic resource to summarize the intent of your conference presentation. 

If you get the two-minute warning and you feel far off from finishing your presentation, first, don’t fret. Try to give a good closure when presenting in a conference without rushing information, as the audience wouldn’t get any concept clear that way. Mention that the information you presented will be available for further reading at the event’s platform site or your company’s digital business card , and proceed to your closure phase for the presentation.

It is better to miss some of the components of the conference than to get kicked out after several warnings for exceeding the allotted time.

Tailoring your conference presentation to suit your audience is crucial to delivering an impactful talk. Different audiences have varying levels of expertise, interests, and expectations. By customizing your content, tone, and examples, you can enhance the relevance and engagement of your presentation.

Understanding Audience Backgrounds and Expectations

Before crafting your presentation, research your audience’s backgrounds and interests. Are they professionals in your field, students, or a mix of both? Are they familiar with the topic, or must you provide more context? Understanding these factors will help you pitch your content correctly and avoid overwhelming or boring your audience.

Adapting Language and Tone for Relevance

Use language that resonates with your audience. Avoid jargon or technical terms that might confuse those unfamiliar with your field. Conversely, don’t oversimplify if your audience consists of experts. Adjust your tone to match the event’s formality and your listeners’ preferences.

Customizing Examples and Case Studies

Incorporate case studies, examples, and anecdotes that your audience can relate to. If you’re speaking to professionals, use real-world scenarios from their industry. For a more general audience, choose examples that are universally relatable. This personal touch makes your content relatable and memorable.

Effectively presenting data is essential for conveying complex information to your audience. Visualizations can help simplify intricate concepts and make your points more digestible.

Choosing the Right Data Representation

Select the appropriate type of graph or chart to illustrate your data. Bar graphs, pie charts, line charts, and scatter plots each serve specific purposes. Choose the one that best supports your message and ensures clarity.

Designing Graphs and Charts for Clarity

Ensure your graphs and charts are easily read. Use clear labels, appropriate color contrasts, and consistent scales. Avoid clutter and simplify the design to highlight the most important data points.

Incorporating Annotations and Explanations

Add annotations or callouts to your graphs to emphasize key findings. Explain the significance of each data point to guide your audience’s understanding. Utilize visual cues, such as arrows and labels, to direct attention.

Engaging your audience is a fundamental skill for a successful presentation for conference. Captivate their attention, encourage participation, and foster a positive connection.

Establishing Eye Contact and Body Language

Maintain eye contact with different audience parts to create a sense of connection. Effective body language, such as confident posture and expressive gestures, enhances your presence on stage.

Encouraging Participation and Interaction

Involve your audience through questions, polls, or interactive activities. Encourage them to share their thoughts or experiences related to your topic. This engagement fosters a more dynamic and memorable presentation.

Using Humor and Engaging Stories

Incorporate humor and relatable anecdotes to make your presentation more enjoyable. Well-timed jokes or personal stories can create a rapport with your audience and make your content more memorable.

The design of your conference presentation slides plays a crucial role in capturing and retaining your audience’s attention. Thoughtful design can amplify your message and reinforce key points. Take a look at these suggestions to boost the performance of your conference presentation slides, or create an entire slide deck in minutes by using SlideModel’s AI Presentation Maker from text .

Creating Memorable Opening Slides

Craft an opening slide that piques the audience’s curiosity and sets the tone for your presentation. Use an engaging visual, thought-provoking quote, or intriguing question to grab their attention from the start.

Using Visual Hierarchy for Emphasis

Employ visual hierarchy to guide your audience’s focus. Highlight key points with larger fonts, bold colors, or strategic placement. Organize information logically to enhance comprehension.

Designing a Powerful Closing Slide

End your presentation with a compelling closing slide that reinforces your main message. Summarize your key points, offer a memorable takeaway, or invite the audience to take action. Use visuals that resonate and leave a lasting impression.

Slide transitions and animations can enhance the flow of your presentation and emphasize important content. However, their use requires careful consideration to avoid distractions or confusion.

Enhancing Flow with Transitions

Select slide transitions that smoothly guide the audience from one point to the next. Avoid overly flashy transitions that detract from your content. Choose options that enhance, rather than disrupt, the presentation’s rhythm.

Using Animation to Highlight Points

Animate elements on your slides to draw attention to specific information. Animate text, images, or graphs to appear as you discuss them, helping the audience follow your narrative more effectively.

Avoiding Overuse of Effects

While animation can be engaging, avoid excessive use that might overwhelm or distract the audience. Maintain a balance between animated elements and static content for a polished presentation.

Effective time management is crucial for delivering a concise and impactful conference presentation within the allocated time frame.

Structuring for Short vs. Long Presentations

Adapt your content and pacing based on the duration of your presentation. Clearly outline the main points for shorter talks, and delve into more depth for longer sessions. Ensure your message aligns with the time available.

Prioritizing Key Information

Identify the core information you want your audience to take away. Focus on conveying these essential points, and be prepared to trim or elaborate on supporting details based on the available time.

Practicing Time Management

Rehearse your presentation while timing yourself to ensure you stay within the allocated time. Adjust your delivery speed to match your time limit, allowing for smooth transitions and adequate Q&A time.

Multimedia elements, such as videos, audio clips, and live demonstrations, can enrich your presentation and provide a dynamic experience for your audience.

Integrating Videos and Audio Clips

Use videos and audio clips strategically to reinforce your points or provide real-world examples. Ensure that the multimedia content is of high quality and directly supports your narrative.

Showcasing Live Demonstrations

Live demonstrations can engage the audience by showcasing practical applications of your topic. Practice the demonstration beforehand to ensure it runs smoothly and aligns with your message.

Using Hyperlinks for Additional Resources

Incorporate hyperlinks into your presentation to direct the audience to additional resources, references, or related content. This allows interested attendees to explore the topic further after the presentation.

Engaging with your audience after your presentation can extend the impact of your talk and foster valuable connections.

Leveraging Post-Presentation Materials

Make your presentation slides and related materials available to attendees after the event. Share them through email, a website, or a conference platform, allowing interested individuals to review the content.

Sharing Slides and Handouts

Provide downloadable versions of your slides and any handouts you used during the presentation. This helps attendees revisit key points and share the information with colleagues.

Networking and Following Up

Utilize networking opportunities during and after the conference to connect with attendees who are interested in your topic. Exchange contact information and follow up with personalized messages to continue the conversation.

Preparing for unexpected challenges during your presenting at a conference can help you maintain professionalism and composure, ensuring a seamless delivery.

Dealing with Technical Glitches

Technical issues can occur, from projector malfunctions to software crashes. Stay calm and have a backup plan, such as having your slides available on multiple devices or using printed handouts.

Handling Unexpected Interruptions

Interruptions, such as questions from the audience or unforeseen disruptions, are a normal part of live presentations. Address them politely, stay adaptable, and seamlessly return to your prepared content.

Staying Calm and Professional

Maintain a composed demeanor regardless of unexpected situations. Your ability to handle challenges gracefully reflects your professionalism and dedication to delivering a successful presentation.

Creating environmentally friendly presentations demonstrates your commitment to sustainability and responsible practices.

Designing Eco-Friendly Slides

Minimize the use of resources by designing slides with efficient layouts, avoiding unnecessary graphics or animations, and using eco-friendly color schemes.

Reducing Paper and Material Waste

Promote a paperless approach by encouraging attendees to access digital materials rather than printing handouts. If print materials are necessary, consider using recycled paper.

Promoting Sustainable Practices

Advocate for sustainability during your presentation by discussing relevant initiatives, practices, or innovations that align with environmentally conscious values.

Measuring the success of your conference presentation goes beyond the applause and immediate feedback. It involves assessing the impact of your presentation on your audience, goals, and growth as a presenter.

Collecting Audience Feedback

After presenting at a conference, gather feedback from attendees. Provide feedback forms or online surveys to capture their thoughts on the content, delivery, and visuals. Analyzing their feedback can reveal areas for improvement and give insights into audience preferences.

Evaluating Key Performance Metrics

Consider objective metrics such as audience engagement, participation, and post-presentation interactions. Did attendees ask questions? Did your content spark discussions? Tracking these metrics can help you gauge the effectiveness of your presentation in conveying your message.

Continuous Improvement Strategies

Use the feedback and insights gathered to enhance your future presentations. Identify strengths to build upon and weaknesses to address. Continuously refine your presentation skills , design choices, and content to create even more impactful presentations in the future.

Tip #1 – Exhibit a single idea per slide

Just one slide per concept, avoiding large text blocks. If you can compile the idea with an image, it’s better that way.

Research shows that people’s attention span is limited ; therefore, redirect your efforts in what concerns presentation slides so your ideas become crystal clear for the spectators.

Tip #2 – Avoid jargon whenever possible

Using complex terms does not directly imply you fully understand the concept you are about to discuss. In spite of your work being presented to a knowledgeable audience, avoid jargon as much as possible because you run the risk of people not understanding what you are saying.

Instead, opt to rehearse your presentation in front of a not-knowledgeable audience to measure the jargon volume you are adding to it. Technical terms are obviously expected in a conference situation, but archaic terms or purely jargon can be easily trimmed this way.

Tip #3 – Replace bulleted listings with structured layouts or diagrams

Bullet points are attention grabbers for the audience. People tend to instantly check what’s written in them, in contrast to waiting for you to introduce the point itself. 

Using bullet points as a way to expose elements of your presentation should be restricted. Opt for limiting the bullet points to non-avoidable facts to list or crucial information. 

Tip #4 – Customize presentation templates

Using presentation templates is a great idea to save time in design decisions. These pre-made slide decks are entirely customizable; however, many users fall into using them as they come, exposing themselves to design inconsistencies (especially with images) or that another presenter had the same idea (it is extremely rare, but it can happen).

Learning how to properly change color themes in PowerPoint is an advantageous asset. We also recommend you use your own images or royalty-free images selected by you rather than sticking to the ones included in a template.

Tip #5 – Displaying charts

Graphs and charts comprise around 80% of the information in most business and academic conferences. Since data visualization is important, avoid common pitfalls such as using 3D effects in bar charts. Depending on the audience’s point of view, those 3D effects can make the data hard to read or get an accurate interpretation of what it represents.

Tip #6 – Using images in the background

Use some of the images you were planning to expose as background for the slides – again, not all of them but relevant slides.

Be careful when placing text above the slides if they have a background image, as accessibility problems may arise due to contrast. Instead, apply an extra color layer above the image with reduced opacity – black or white, depending on the image and text requirements. This makes the text more legible for the audience, and you can use your images without any inconvenience.

Tip #7 – Embrace negative space

Negative space is a concept seen in design situations. If we consider positive space as the designed area, meaning the objects, shapes, etc., that are “your design,” negative space can be defined as the surrounding area. If we work on a white canvas, negative space is the remaining white area surrounding your design.

The main advantage of using negative space appropriately is to let your designs breathe. Stuffing charts, images and text makes it hard to get a proper understanding of what’s going on in the slide. Apply the “less is more” motto to your conference presentation slides, and embrace negative space as your new design asset.

Tip #8 – Use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation

You would be surprised to see how many typos can be seen in slides at professional gatherings. Whereas typos can often pass by as a humor-relief moment, grammatical or awful spelling mistakes make you look unprofessional. 

Take 5 extra minutes before submitting your slide deck to proofread the grammar, spelling, and punctuation. If in doubt, browse dictionaries for complex technical words.

Tip #10 – Use an appropriate presentation style

The format of the conference will undoubtedly require its own presentation style. By this we mean that it is different from delivering a conference presentation in front of a live audience as a webinar conference. The interaction with the audience is different, the demands for the Q&A session will be different, and also during webinars the audience is closely looking at your slides.

Tip #11 – Control your speaking tone

Another huge mistake when delivering a conference presentation is to speak with a monotonous tone. The message you transmit to your attendees is that you simply do not care about your work. If you believe you fall into this category, get feedback from others: try pitching to them, and afterward, consider how you talk. 

Practicing breathing exercises can help to articulate your speech skills, especially if anxiety hinders your presentation performance.

Tip #12 – On eye contact and note reading

In order to connect with your audience, it is imperative to make eye contact. Not stare, but look at your spectators from time to time as the talk is directed at them.

If you struggle on this point, a good tip we can provide is to act like you’re looking at your viewers. Pick a good point a few centimeters above your viewer and direct your speech there. They will believe you are communicating directly with them. Shift your head slightly on the upcoming slide or bullet and choose a new location.

Regarding note reading, while it is an acceptable practice to check your notes, do not make the entire talk a lecture in which you simply read your notes to the audience. This goes hand-by-hand with the speaking tone in terms of demonstrating interest in the work you do. Practice as often as you need before the event to avoid constantly reading your notes. Reading a paragraph or two is okay, but not the entire presentation.

Tip #13 – Be ready for the Q&A session

Despite it being a requirement in most conference events, not all presenters get ready for the Q&A session. It is a part of the conference presentation itself, so you should pace your speech to give enough time for the audience to ask 1-3 questions and get a proper answer.

Don’t be lengthy or overbearing in replying to each question, as you may run out of time. It is preferable to give a general opinion and then reach the interested person with your contact information to discuss the topic in detail.

Observing what others do at conference events is good practice for learning a tip or two for improving your own work. As we have seen throughout this article, conference presentation slides have specific requirements to become a tool in your presentation rather than a mixture of information without order.

Employ these tips and suggestions to craft your upcoming conference presentation without any hurdles. Best of luck!

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2. Free Conference Presentation Template

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Ten tips for an engaging Presentation

Photo by Lauren Beal

Leading a successful and engaging conference session is a skillset that will take time and practice to develop, but following these ten guidelines can help you to start off on the right foot.

Focus your presentation.

If you are not certain of the exact point or objective of your presentation, use the Why, Who Cares, So What test. Think about each slide and piece of text you create and its purpose. If it does not align with your objective, cut it. Nothing discourages engagement more than a presenter trying to rush through too much information.

Remember that slides are for the audience, not for the presenter

Slide decks are not the place for multiple bullet lists and extensive notes. If you have a large amount of content that you want to provide to the audience, link to a white paper or more extensive notes online. Your projected presentation is not the place for it.

Also, it’s helpful to use the 10/20/30 rule. Ten slides, presented for 20 minutes, and no less than 30 point font. Your remaining time should be used in direct engagement of the audience and should be spread throughout the presentation.

Get to know your audience

Do you know to whom you are presenting and why they are sitting in front of you? Finding this out through quick introductions will go a long way toward making your presentation engaging and meaningful for the audience.

Chunk your presentation

You have 10 minutes before attention typically starts to wane.  Plan for an audience “check-in” every 10 minutes in order to check for questions, understanding, and context. If there are no questions or comments from the audience…

 … Flip things around, ask your audience questions

Never do the “Any Questions?…No?…OK, moving on…” routine. You can always assume that you have an audience full of individuals at least somewhat knowledgeable in your domain or research area. Ask them their perspectives on what you are presenting, whether they have shared your observations, would find your tool useful, have engaged in similar research, etc. A good method for engaging the entire audience is to direct questions at individuals in the audience. This will encourage everyone to pay closer attention. Nobody wants to appear as though they were not paying attention.

  Tell a story

We don’t learn through listening to a string of facts; we learn through stories and real world examples. During your presentation try to link your main points to real world examples and human experience. The best presenters are also great storytellers.

Use pictures and graphs

There is a reason we say that a picture is worth a thousand words. Meaningful (ie. not flashy for the purpose of being flashy) images can help your audience tune in to what you are saying and also helps to convey your point in another way. A large image with just a few words is almost always more effective than a 15-point font bullet list. If you put a large amount of text on the screen, your audience will instinctively switch from paying attention to you to reading the slide.

  Use a well-practiced protocol for engagement

There are a number of well-established protocols for engagement described across the web. These protocols provide frameworks for group engagement and there is likely one that would be perfect for your content/purpose/presentation. Visit the NSRF website for a comprehensive list.

As the presenter, you are responsible for setting the tone of your session. If you are relaxed and engaging, your audience will also be relaxed and engaged. If you are nervous and focused only on getting through your material, your audience will lose focus on you. The best way to avoid this is to…

 … Practice your presentation

You should not walk into your session not knowing exactly how long your presentation is or which slide comes where. Practice your presentation, time yourself, practice your engagement breaks, and be practiced enough that you could give your presentation even if the power goes out. Doing so will allow you to divert your focus from simply giving the presentation to engaging your audience and conveying your message.

A few additional resources/links:

• Educause Presentation Concierge
• Michael Alley on “Rethinking Presentations”
• Presentation Zen
• Slide Share

Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA 16802 814-865-4700

6 Tips For Giving a Fabulous Academic Presentation

6-tips-for-giving-a-fabulous-academic-presentation.

Tanya Golash-Boza, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of California

January 11, 2022

One of the easiest ways to stand out at an academic conference is to give a fantastic presentation.

In this post, I will discuss a few simple techniques that can make your presentation stand out. Although, it does take time to make a good presentation, it is well worth the investment.

Tip #1: Use PowerPoint Judiciously

Images are powerful. Research shows that images help with memory and learning. Use this to your advantage by finding and using images that help you make your point. One trick I have learned is that you can use images that have blank space in them and you can put words in those images.

Here is one such example from a presentation I gave about immigration law enforcement.

PowerPoint is a great tool, so long as you use it effectively. Generally, this means using lots of visuals and relatively few words. Never use less than 24-point font. And, please, never put your presentation on the slides and read from the slides.

Tip #2: There is a formula to academic presentations. Use it.

Once you have become an expert at giving fabulous presentations, you can deviate from the formula. However, if you are new to presenting, you might want to follow it. This will vary slightly by field, however, I will give an example from my field – sociology – to give you an idea as to what the format should look like:

• Introduction/Overview/Hook
• Theoretical Framework/Research Question
• Methodology/Case Selection
• Background/Literature Review
• Discussion of Data/Results

Tip #3: The audience wants to hear about your research. Tell them.

One of the most common mistakes I see in people giving presentations is that they present only information I already know. This usually happens when they spend nearly all of the presentation going over the existing literature and giving background information on their particular case. You need only to discuss the literature with which you are directly engaging and contributing. Your background information should only include what is absolutely necessary. If you are giving a 15-minute presentation, by the 6 th minute, you need to be discussing your data or case study. At conferences, people are there to learn about your new and exciting research, not to hear a summary of old work.

Tip #4: Practice. Practice. Practice.

You should always practice your presentation in full before you deliver it. You might feel silly delivering your presentation to your cat or your toddler, but you need to do it and do it again. You need to practice to ensure that your presentation fits within the time parameters. Practicing also makes it flow better. You can’t practice too many times.

Tip #5: Keep To Your Time Limit

If you have ten minutes to present, prepare ten minutes of material. No more. Even if you only have seven minutes, you need to finish within the allotted time. If you write your presentation out, a general rule of thumb is two minutes per typed, double-spaced page. For a fifteen-minute talk, you should have no more than 7 double-spaced pages of material.

Tip #6: Don’t Read Your Presentation

Yes, I know that in some fields reading is the norm. But, can you honestly say that you find yourself engaged when listening to someone read their conference presentation? If you absolutely must read, I suggest you read in such a way that no one in the audience can tell you are reading. I have seen people do this successfully, and you can do it too if you write in a conversational tone, practice several times, and read your paper with emotion, conviction, and variation in tone.

What tips do you have for presenters? What is one of the best presentations you have seen? What made it so fantastic? Let us know in the comments below.

Want to learn more about the publishing process? The Wiley Researcher Academy is an online author training program designed to help researchers develop the skills and knowledge needed to be able to publish successfully. Learn more about Wiley Researcher Academy .

Image credit: Tanya Golash-Boza

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Oral Presentation Structure

Finally, presentations normally include interaction in the form of questions and answers. This is a great opportunity to provide whatever additional information the audience desires. For fear of omitting something important, most speakers try to say too much in their presentations. A better approach is to be selective in the presentation itself and to allow enough time for questions and answers and, of course, to prepare well by anticipating the questions the audience might have.

As a consequence, and even more strongly than papers, presentations can usefully break the chronology typically used for reporting research. Instead of presenting everything that was done in the order in which it was done, a presentation should focus on getting a main message across in theorem-proof fashion — that is, by stating this message early and then presenting evidence to support it. Identifying this main message early in the preparation process is the key to being selective in your presentation. For example, when reporting on materials and methods, include only those details you think will help convince the audience of your main message — usually little, and sometimes nothing at all.

The opening

• The context as such is best replaced by an attention getter , which is a way to both get everyone's attention fast and link the topic with what the audience already knows (this link provides a more audience-specific form of context).
• The object of the document is here best called the preview because it outlines the body of the presentation. Still, the aim of this element is unchanged — namely, preparing the audience for the structure of the body.
• The opening of a presentation can best state the presentation's main message , just before the preview. The main message is the one sentence you want your audience to remember, if they remember only one. It is your main conclusion, perhaps stated in slightly less technical detail than at the end of your presentation.

In other words, include the following five items in your opening: attention getter , need , task , main message , and preview .

Even if you think of your presentation's body as a tree, you will still deliver the body as a sequence in time — unavoidably, one of your main points will come first, one will come second, and so on. Organize your main points and subpoints into a logical sequence, and reveal this sequence and its logic to your audience with transitions between points and between subpoints. As a rule, place your strongest arguments first and last, and place any weaker arguments between these stronger ones.

The closing

After supporting your main message with evidence in the body, wrap up your oral presentation in three steps: a review , a conclusion , and a close . First, review the main points in your body to help the audience remember them and to prepare the audience for your conclusion. Next, conclude by restating your main message (in more detail now that the audience has heard the body) and complementing it with any other interpretations of your findings. Finally, close the presentation by indicating elegantly and unambiguously to your audience that these are your last words.

Starting and ending forcefully

Revealing your presentation's structure.

To be able to give their full attention to content, audience members need structure — in other words, they need a map of some sort (a table of contents, an object of the document, a preview), and they need to know at any time where they are on that map. A written document includes many visual clues to its structure: section headings, blank lines or indentations indicating paragraphs, and so on. In contrast, an oral presentation has few visual clues. Therefore, even when it is well structured, attendees may easily get lost because they do not see this structure. As a speaker, make sure you reveal your presentation's structure to the audience, with a preview , transitions , and a review .

The preview provides the audience with a map. As in a paper, it usefully comes at the end of the opening (not too early, that is) and outlines the body, not the entire presentation. In other words, it needs to include neither the introduction (which has already been delivered) nor the conclusion (which is obvious). In a presentation with slides, it can usefully show the structure of the body on screen. A slide alone is not enough, however: You must also verbally explain the logic of the body. In addition, the preview should be limited to the main points of the presentation; subpoints can be previewed, if needed, at the beginning of each main point.

Transitions are crucial elements for revealing a presentation's structure, yet they are often underestimated. As a speaker, you obviously know when you are moving from one main point of a presentation to another — but for attendees, these shifts are never obvious. Often, attendees are so involved with a presentation's content that they have no mental attention left to guess at its structure. Tell them where you are in the course of a presentation, while linking the points. One way to do so is to wrap up one point then announce the next by creating a need for it: "So, this is the microstructure we observe consistently in the absence of annealing. But how does it change if we anneal the sample at 450°C for an hour or more? That's my next point. Here is . . . "

Similarly, a review of the body plays an important double role. First, while a good body helps attendees understand the evidence, a review helps them remember it. Second, by recapitulating all the evidence, the review effectively prepares attendees for the conclusion. Accordingly, make time for a review: Resist the temptation to try to say too much, so that you are forced to rush — and to sacrifice the review — at the end.

Ideally, your preview, transitions, and review are well integrated into the presentation. As a counterexample, a preview that says, "First, I am going to talk about . . . , then I will say a few words about . . . and finally . . . " is self-centered and mechanical: It does not tell a story. Instead, include your audience (perhaps with a collective we ) and show the logic of your structure in view of your main message.

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Dr. Heidi Toivonen

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How to Give a Good Conference Presentation

Are you preparing to give your first talk at a scientific conference? Or perhaps you are a more seasoned scholar wishing to polish your presentation skills? In this blog post, I give some pointers on how to give a good conference presentation. In all honesty, I also share some opinions on what not to do in case you don`t want your audience to loll into sweet daydreaming or leave your talk with a heightened blood pressure.

This post is mainly attuned to the Covid-reality of Zoom-congresses and inspired by my summer spent in conferences of three different disciplines -psychology, information systems, and literary studies. Keep in mind that as this is my personal website, this is not a comprehensive all-inclusive guide to the art of conference talks. The text is shamelessly colored by my very own opinions and preferences regarding how to give a good conference presentation.

In-person and Zoom Conferences -Basics of the Setting

While the content of your presentation comes first, the setting of your speech has a huge influence on you and your audience.

Some quick key points regarding the setting of an in-person, physical conference:

• Get to know the location and the physical setting of your presentation as soon as possible.
• Familiarize yourself with the technology: Can you share the power point presentation (for goodness sake, you were going to make one, right? Right?!) or are they shared centrally, e.g. by the technical assistant of your session? Do you need to use a microphone and if yes, can you use it? Where should you stand (or sit) in order for your audience to see you as well as possible?
• When you give your presentation, acknowledge the presence of your audience first: Eye contact, thanks for them being there, presenting yourself. Keep acknowledging them throughout your talk -you are not mumbling in a vacuum here- and also at the end of it. If looking at the audience terrifies you, sharpen your eyes just above the heads of the people in the front row. In a bigger conference room, nobody will be able to tell whether you are looking at the people or not. If you know there is someone in the audience providing you with a reassuring smile, such as a friendly colleague, you can make eye contact with them. Otherwise, if you`re shy, just keep the gaze not fixed on anyone specific but let it hover above the audience.
• Pay attention to how you stand (or sit, if you for physical reasons cannot stand). Keep your back straight, shoulders down, chin up, and arms open. Don`t lean towards tables or chairs and don`t turn your back to the audience. You can use the physical space by walking or changing your position during the speech. However, avoid restless pacing back and forth in front of your audience.

Quick key points regarding the setting of an online conference:

• You have the chance to choose where you give your speech. Choose wisely. Home or office, or some other location altogether?
• Make sure that the technology works and you`re able to use all the necessary platforms and applications relevant to the conference.
• Test your audio and video beforehand.
• Even if you would otherwise be chilling in your armchair following the conference or lie on your stomach in the bed, make the setting for your presentation pleasantly professional. Often, standing instead of sitting gives you a nicer posture and a more self-confident feeling. Standing also allows you to use your hands in a more expressive manner.
• Make sure that there is enough light when you give your presentation, and no shadows covering your face or creating odd effects. Show your head and a bit of the upper body for the camera -thus, preferably, put more than just your head into the frame.

How to Give a Good Conference Presentation: Time is Money, Don`t Be a Thief

A tired chair of the session, with a tone implying he/she has said this same thing for about 59 times the past months: “Dear X, your time is out.”

Astonished speaker: “Oh, I would have had one more slide to show the points I really wanted to share with you” (after having spent his/her entire time slot merely introducing the topic and never getting to the point).

This is a dialogue I have heard so many times in physical and online conferences that I`ve lost count. In almost every session, there is at least one speaker who gives an introductory talk of 13 minutes and, if they happen to realize they are running out of time, spend the last two minutes skipping through 400 slides to show “what they actually really wanted to share”. Or, if they are not aware of running out of time, the chair will remind them they have to stop. To this, they respond in either of two ways.

They might just keep talking, as if the chair is just an annoying obstacle trying to ruin their show and not the time manager of the whole session. Alternatively, they respond by rushing through to the actual core message of their presentation. The first option is a form of extreme academic arrogance, where the speaker thinks that their chance to speak is more important than that of the others. If one person does not stay in schedule, in the worst case, the whole session becomes a chaotic running after the clock, a series of shrunk fast-forward presentations to make up for the time spend on the one person who would not stay within the limits of their allotted time slot.

Practicing and Timing Makes You Perfect

It`s incredible that I feel the need to say this to a readership that I assume consists of smart, educated, polite people interested and involved in academia, but apparently I do: Practice your presentation beforehand, with a timer. Don`t just assume that having a presentation of so and so many slides takes a certain amount of time. Remember that you will probably (hopefully!) not only read aloud your slides but introduce yourself and talk around your slides. What you have on the power point is not supposed to be the full manuscript of what you say (more of this later).

Take out the timer of your mobile phone and push the button, then speak your presentation aloud in the way you would at the actual conference. Keep checking the timing as you go, and make changes in your presentation accordingly. Talking less than your allotted 15 or 20 minutes is never a bad thing, going over the limit is impolite and selfish.

When you give your presentation at the conference, keep checking the time. Sometimes the organic nature of the actual presentation situation might take you by surprise and you end up talking more or less, faster or slower, than when you rehearsed. Don`t wrap up 10 seconds before your time is up, but a little bit before that. And if it so happens that the chair nudges you that your time is used, do not go on after that, at least for more than a couple of dozen seconds in case you absolutely need to vocalize a key point of your talk. Then apologize, thank your audience, and stop. Remember -this is not an encouragement to keep talking until the chair person intervenes. This is a gentle suggestion of what to do if it so happens that you`re overtime, despite trying hard not to be. All in all, a key secret in how to give a good conference presentation is knowing when to stop talking.

Articulation and Pronunciation is Not beyond Science

Everyone who has ever visited a scientific conference has probably participated in a session or workshop, or listened to a keynote talk, where the speaker is a super professional with interesting and relevant research to show, but you can barely understand what they`re saying. I`m writing about this even if I assume some people might intentionally decide to get offended and read me as saying something I am definitely not saying. How to give a good conference presentation has a lot to do with the how you speak and less than you might imagine with the what you speak.

Academic communities are large and international, and in the increasingly diverse conference venues, English is often not the first language of the participants. Most of us have an accent, and that is beautiful and okay. Personally, I speak with a Scandinavian accent combined either with an American or a British English version of English, depending on my humor and the speaking context. That being said, delivering a presentation in a way that allows your audience to actually understand and enjoy what you`re saying is not some supra-academic extra quality you can add to to the presentation just to be fancy. Communicating clearly is part and parcel of your scientific skillset.

It`s important to keep in mind that one can be a native English speaker and deliver a talk consisting of incomprehensible mumbling, half-swallowed words, and utterly butchered non-English expressions. One can just as well be of any national and ethnic background, have a limited English capacity, and yet, succeed in talking in a clear and accessible way. Back in my Bachelor`s degree studies, there was a lecturer at the university who would talk about political science and pronounce “democracy” as “ demo-crazy “. Is that a lack of paying attention to other people`s talks and noticing how the word is actually pronounced or just simple laziness in making sure that you have got at least the keywords correct? Who knows, but I think demo-crazies can be, for the most, avoided.

We are not talking only about correct pronunciation here. Oxford English is not the goal, but delivering a talk that helps your audience to focus on the content of what you`re saying instead of struggling to decode the medium. As academics we are communicators. We communicate to each other within and beyond the boundaries of our home discipline(s) as well as with the “laypeople”. A conference presentation where the speaker articulates clearly, speaks not too slowly nor too fast, has attempted to find out how words are pronounced, and makes an attempt not to read out the slides but to talk to actual living beings in the audience is always a pleasure, no matter how non-native the English sounds.

How to Give a Good Conference Presentation: Talking Practice Tips

• Make a video- or audio recording of yourself giving your presentation, preferably a video. Pay attention to how you sound. You can even ask a friend or a colleague to look/listen to it and give you feedback. Are you clear? Are you speaking at a convenient speed? Is it possible to understand what you`re saying even without looking at the slides? Are you sounding like a pre-recorded artificial intelligence giving instructions on an application or does your speech have variations in tonality? Can one understand you without seeing your mouth move? Do you leave enough pauses for the audience to take in what you have said? All these are important points to take into account while preparing the how of your presentation -not less important than the what , the content part of it.
• Search e.g. on YouTube different researchers giving conference or other talks and pay attention to how they speak. Sensitize yourself to aspects such as intonation, pace, and articulation. Decide what you like and try if you could adopt some of it into your own way of speaking.
• In the next opportunity, ask for a friendly conference presentation review from a colleague. Ask them to tell you honestly how you sound and what could be improved in your talking. Personally, I have had my partner, representing a completely different discipline, follow my presentations just because I wanted him to give me feedback. Am I precise? Am I clear? Was I inspiring? Keep in mind that sometimes, having someone tell you unpleasant things is the best thing that can happen for you to learn how to give a good conference presentation.
• If your conference presentation is recorded, find out how you can get to see and listen to it. This exercise can be painful, but will teach you more of your ways of presenting than any external feedback ever will.

The Power-Point Presentation is not a Manuscript

Making a nice power point presentation can be a challenging task. In terms of the key points of how to give a good conference presentation, the thing to keep in mind is that if you want to write a whole ready-made speech for yourself to be read aloud (which I don`t think is a good idea, unless we`re talking about an actual keynote speech), make it a separate document. Power point slides are not the platform for a manuscript. Write as little as possible, and make it bullet points, not whole sentences. Highlight the most important words and concepts. Use graphics and pictures to support your message, not to replace it.

Do not read aloud simply what you have written on the slides, but talk around the key points presented there. It is incredibly difficult to read full sentences in the power point slides at the same time when listening to someone talk. Also, hearing someone read aloud the same sentences that are written on the power point is just boring.

Again: Practice your presentation beforehand. If you want to make yourself notes that you can look at while showing your slides, make sure you can also deliver your presentation without looking at them all the time. Even if the audience would not see you, they can hear whether you`re speaking spontaneously or reading directly from a text, and the latter is extremely boring and uninspiring to listen to. You`re the expert of the topic of your talk; you`re not just the voice hired to read aloud a text. Personally, I will rather listen to a speaker that searches for words or loses the track of his/her thoughts for a couple of seconds when searching for the next thing they were going to say, rather than a speaker who reads aloud a pre-written text sentence by sentence. In the case of the robot-reader, I just dose off and think about other things, to be honest.

How to give a good conference presentation: Make a nice power point presentation but do not hide behind it in any sense of the word.

How to Give a Good Conference Presentation is All About Being a Professional, not a Besserwisser

Roughly speaking, annoying academics in conferences can be put into two categories. No, actually, let me rephrase that -there is just one category. This nerve-racking class consists of the Besserwissers. These all-knowing wanna-be-experts give their talk in a manner oozing intellectual authority and arrogance, nitpick their colleagues, and when in the audience, make irrelevant questions designed to show off their superiority or advertise their own papers. Inside a Besserwisser there resides a very fearful and insecure individual who, after the conference day is over, will retreat to their room and get drunk with whatever their hotel room minibar offers. They will have a legit binge of Ben&Jerry`s ice-cream directly from the box, and cry over the phone to their momma what an utter failure they are in life.

No, not really. That is just me entertaining a vision that would render a Besserwisser a degree of humanity they otherwise seem to lack.

My point is that the attitude with which you give your presentation is what people will remember from it better than any scientific detail. It is your character that draws them to talk to you in the breaks and suggest a collaboration. Hence, it is also academically more productive to come across as a nice human being than something else.

Then again, being aware of the percentage of not so nice but yet successful humans in academia, I`m wondering if I just have you some bad piece of advice.

However, I insist that coming across as self-confident without being arrogant and appearing friendly without looking like a doormat is a good skill in any situation where you want to make a good impression of yourself. This is also true in our discussion on how to give a good conference presentation. It`s infinitely more pleasant to listen to someone who has a down-to-earth attitude to their own work and an open curiosity to the work of others, and who manages to relate to their audience in a friendly, collaborative manner, than to someone who thinks a conference presentation is a self-advertising arena or a guillotine where everyone else has gathered there just to witness one`s slow and humiliating death.

Be a Person(ality), not a Bore

The psychologist in me has spent quite a while observing how many university people seem to start developing a university persona, some right from the beginning from their PhD journey, some when they land on their first postdoc. What kind of a university persona they try to embody depends on the discipline and on the surrounding society and culture. It is a distinctive collection of whatever aspects of one`s habitus are considered signs of intelligence and status in a specific context. For a Humanist, there might be a chance they are going after the look of a book-devouring radical intellectual who can recite their Lucy Irigarays and Donna Haraways even if woken up in the middle of the night. The stylistic characteristics of this look are clear and distinctive, although have changed slightly since my days of studying Comparative Literature in the mid 2000`s at the University of Helsinki.

I am not saying that building a persona that looks like whatever is considered a smart and skillful person`s look in a specific context is a distinctively academic act. Already at the mid to late phases of my Master`s studies in Psychology, some classmates started adopting a look they thought embodies what a good clinical psychologist is supposed to look like. Usually this psychologist look, whether performed by not-yet-ready students or more seasoned clinicians, consists (or consisted, my days in the clinical fields are behind) of anonymous eyeglasses, neutral and natural colors, vast cardigans, and the clear attempt to not use too much make-up or look too business-like or posh.

Personally, I never went after for a profession-adequate look, and I don`t think it has ever worked against me. Just like the clients and patients would more easily relate to and trust a psychologist who looks and acts like a real human being (as opposed to a real human being who desperately tries to look and act like a psychologist), also conference audiences see through any attempt to fit into the crowd or make yourself into a discipline-relevant hip and cool character.

Yes, whether it is what you wear or how you act, be yourself first. Whether you are downplaying your personality to look like a true old-fashioned dry academic should, or dressing up to a hip version of your discipline`s hottest rockstars of the moment, chances are it is not working for your favor. Nothing is as fantastic in a conference as listening to a person who is comfortable in their own skin and genuinely likes themselves, not trying to embody or enact anyone else. A genuine, interesting personality giving a talk can get me interested about something I never found fascinating before. Previously, I have written about how to be a kick-ass unique female professional here (go and scroll down to the videos if you want to see some uniquely charismatic female professionals show their captivating speaker-presence). Also thi s post by Professor Francesco Lelli, summarizing the key points of a video by Patrick Winston, can inspire you to make a nice presentation that lets your personality shine through.

How to Give a Good Conference Presentation – By Remembering It`s Just a Conference Presentation

Sooner or later, everyone giving conference presentations will hit the low point in their congress career. It doesn`t need to be a complete flop of a presentation where your power points vanish into thin air mid-talk, then your computer explodes, and while putting out the fire, you realize you gave the talk you managed to give while having a huge food stain in the middle of your shirt. Perhaps it`s just that you get stuck with your hairdo in the microphone headset and lose half of your hair while ripping the headset off to hand it to the next speaker (this happened to me). Perhaps you have a Besserwisser in the audience making sure that you will doubt the validity of your research for five years after getting your degree. Whatever the case may be, having some healthy perspective will not do any harm. In the end, you learn how to give a good conference presentation by having some less successful experiences.

Many people listening to your presentation will not remember anything about it tomorrow. Many people listening to your presentation are not, frankly speaking, not even that interested in it -they just pretend to be, because they are polite. Largely, the audience is either anxiously preparing for their own presentation or recovering from it in a complete lowering-my-adrenaline-levels mental smog. Usually, your audience members don’t care about anyone else’s presentations than that of their own.

A conference is not a place where your validity and importance as a researcher is somehow collectively decided. You will enjoy and benefit more if you take it as a chance to get to learn about the state of the art in a particular discipline and make new connections with people as well as get some experience in talking to academic audiences. Giving a presentation is a chance to learn: It will help you formulate the key ideas of your research in a clear and concise manner as well as give the chance to get some useful feedback. Try and not to judge your presentation in terms of how it went (the possible answers usually representing a dichotomy of okay vs. terrible) but in terms of what you learnt. Even the sharpest criticism can -sometimes with a lot of mental effort- be turned into something useful, a learning experience. And if not, follow the advice of the team leader in one of my previous research projects: Ignore mode on!

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How to Make a “Good” Presentation “Great”

• Guy Kawasaki

Remember: Less is more.

A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others. Here are some unique elements that make a presentation stand out.

• Fonts: Sans Serif fonts such as Helvetica or Arial are preferred for their clean lines, which make them easy to digest at various sizes and distances. Limit the number of font styles to two: one for headings and another for body text, to avoid visual confusion or distractions.
• Colors: Colors can evoke emotions and highlight critical points, but their overuse can lead to a cluttered and confusing presentation. A limited palette of two to three main colors, complemented by a simple background, can help you draw attention to key elements without overwhelming the audience.
• Pictures: Pictures can communicate complex ideas quickly and memorably but choosing the right images is key. Images or pictures should be big (perhaps 20-25% of the page), bold, and have a clear purpose that complements the slide’s text.
• Layout: Don’t overcrowd your slides with too much information. When in doubt, adhere to the principle of simplicity, and aim for a clean and uncluttered layout with plenty of white space around text and images. Think phrases and bullets, not sentences.

As an intern or early career professional, chances are that you’ll be tasked with making or giving a presentation in the near future. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others.

• Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist at Canva and was the former chief evangelist at Apple. Guy is the author of 16 books including Think Remarkable : 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference.

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Tips for Oral Presentations at Scientific Meetings and Conferences

By Nina Lichtenberg

Tis’ the season for the biennial, annual, or semi-annual life science conference; and this time around, you’re scheduled to give a presentation in front of every known expert in your field of study (yikes!) Your thoughts may range from “I can’t wait to share my shiny new data with a room full of scientists!”, to “Why me?”

Never fear, whether thrilled or terrified, follow these tips below to engage your audience and give a stellar presentation. Please note that the advice below applies to all forms of presentations but is focused on those that take place at scientific meetings or conferences. If you don’t have any presentations scheduled but would like to give one, check out the last section on seeking presentation opportunities.

You have an upcoming conference presentation scheduled, now what?

The first step to giving a talk is creating a presentation. The book Designing Science Presentations by Matt Carter is an excellent visually-oriented guide to designing and delivering presentations, and even offers tips on other forms of science communication, like creating figures for manuscripts. Plus, it’s free to download via your university network (see link here ).

Prior to your presentation, and generally throughout your PhD, it’s a good idea to take notes on presentation organization, style, voice, and audience engagement techniques. As a graduate student, you’ve probably attended dozens of talks – both good and bad. Take notes on what stood out to you and what you thought made each presentation successful (or unsuccessful) at getting the speaker’s story across. What made the talk engaging? Was it the way they introduced their research using a witty, real-life or pop culture example? Perhaps it was the way they paused during transitions between topics to ask if the audience had any questions. Maybe it was simply the speaker’s demeanor, or the font, color, or layout of their slides. Integrate what you learned into your presentation. About 25% of the notes I jot down during talks are about the actual manner in which data are presented.

Practice, practice, practice – but don’t over practice

In the few weeks leading up to your presentation, you may be tempted to practice alone, or maybe even to your beloved, non-judgmental furry friend in the comforts of your own home. As tempting as this may sound, practicing in front of a real human audience is key. It’s important to practice in front of others, professors or your peers, for a few critical reasons: this experience will be the closest to the real deal, allowing you to work on your voice and audience engagement, and importantly, your audience will give you feedback on how to communicate your data. They may point out topics you rushed through and/or give you tips on organization. Work on the timing – one slide (or less) per minute is a fairly universal rule. This is especially important for short data blitz style presentations, which are often strictly limited to just 5 or 10 minutes.

Even if you don’t have an imminent conference presentation scheduled, presenting your work throughout your PhD will well prepare you for future conferences and job talks. At my university there are several opportunities for graduate students to present their recent findings in short (5-20 min) and long (1 hr) formats in seminars open to professors, postdocs, and fellow students. If you prefer an informal audience, practice your talk in lab meeting. Additionally, there are often graduate student led organizations that host informal after-lab meetings exactly for this purpose.

If such resources are not available on your campus or at your institution, create them yourself! Not only will these forums give you the chance to practice your talk, but they may expose you to research topics, presentation styles, and individuals from across disciplines. If you’re short on time, gather a handful of science and/or non-science friends and practice your talk on campus or at home. Practice in front of non-scientists (roommates maybe?) – this will benefit you in the long run. “Talking shop” with those outside of your field will strengthen your skills in communicating your data to a broad audience, which is critical for publishing in high-impact journals, getting grants, and for so much more.

Practice, but don’t over practice. Some scientists, including myself, need to spend the time going through what they plan to say for each slide many times before the talk. But for others, this results in a presentation that sounds too rehearsed and a bit robotic. During the presentation, you may need to deviate from the talk that’s drilled into your head to answer unexpected questions or to speed up if you’re running short on time. Preparing an over-rehearsed talk will make adaptation difficult.

So, practice until you’ve memorized every line, or go over your talk just a few times? Practice until your nerves are calm in front of your mock audience, then quit practicing and brush up on some background knowledge that will help you answer tricky questions from audience members.

Tips for the actual real-life presentation

If you’ve but the time into creating a well-organized presentation and have practiced, even a little bit, you will be fine.

Before the presentation: If you’re speaking as part of a symposium, familiarize yourself with the other speakers (and their research) in the panel and at the conference in general. You don’t want to get caught not recognizing someone important. Upon arriving to the conference venue, check out the room in which you will be giving the presentation so that there are no surprises – make note of where the podium is and the microphone, of course.

During the presentation: Take it slow. This will help calm your nerves or jitters. Pausing for a few seconds after each sentence will help. Speak at an appropriate volume and clearly. Remember to look at your audience members for a majority of the time, and not at your slides or down at the floor! Also, the audience doesn’t know your data as well as you do – don’t be afraid to elaborate a bit or remind them of certain goals of your research, even if a technique or result seems elementary to you.

After the presentation: Take a deep breath (you’re done!) Thank the meeting organizers for the speaking opportunity. If there are any questions from the audience, answer them as best you can. If you don’t have a great answer, it’s not a big deal. Offer to speak with the attendee further after the talk or symposium.

The final tips below may seem obvious, but nonetheless important.

• Check your presentation for any errors in spelling, grammar, and file conversion, and make sure it is formatted as requested by the organizer/your contact person (i.e. the dreaded Mac to PC, or vice versa PowerPoint conversion issues)
• Dress to impress – you and your data will be well-received if you look put together
• Get a good night’s sleep

Getting a speaking opportunity at a conference

The easiest way to find speaking opportunities at conferences is to browse the conference organization’s webpage for calls for abstracts. Typically, a conference organizing committee will ask for an abstract anywhere from 1-6 months prior to a conference. Tip: keep abstract deadlines marked on a calendar!

Word of mouth is powerful. Ask your colleagues and/or other graduate students in your program about conferences they’ve attended, especially more senior students who may have already given talks at a few conferences. Also, don’t be afraid to ask professors if they are organizing any conference symposia. You never know if they’re looking for someone to fill a spot – perhaps your shiny new data would be perfect for what they’re organizing. They may also be able to refer you to their colleagues in charge of organizing other scientific meetings.

Of course, attending a conference requires (many) expenses: abstract submission fees, registration fees, poster printing, flight, hotel – it adds up. Travel awards are excellent resources, especially for graduate students. Typically, travel awards are open to both national and international students and typically cover costs of registration, and often offer a discount (or full coverage) on travel expenses. Travel award deadlines are often different from those of abstract submissions and require a recommendation letter – these details can be found on the conference website.

If you win a travel award, awardees are usually invited to attend professional development workshops and to present their data as a talk at the conference. So, not only does the cover some of your travel expenses, but it gives you an opportunity to present your data – win-win! Don’t forget to put the award (and your talk) on your CV. Tip: outside companies and research foundations, like Hello Bio , offer travel awards to students.

Presenting your research at a conference or meeting is a unique, exciting opportunity. It’s not just a chance to share your newest data with your scientific peers, but a chance to build communication skills and boost self-confidence; thus, benefiting both your career and well-being. So, if a speaking opportunity arises don’t hesitate, jump on it!

Nina Lichtenberg earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park. Currently, she is working on wrapping up her PhD in the Psychology department at UCLA by studying the neural circuitry of memory retrieval and decision making. Apart from research, she spends her time developing a neuroscience outreach program that connects undergraduates with the local LA community and builds their scicomm skills.

You can follow Nina on Twitter @NTlichten or connect with her on LinkedIn . Want to meet Nina in person (and see her present some data)? She’ll be at the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting in San Diego, CA, from November 3-7 giving poster presentations on her outreach and science.

Read Nina’s other blog post: Tips for poster presentations at scientific meetings and conferences

Other resources you may find helpful

One of the things we’re most passionate about is supporting early career life scientists. Here are some other guides and resources that you may find helpful:

• The Life Scientists' Guide to Wellbeing
• The Life Scientists' Guide for New PhD Students
• The Most Common PhD Problems & How to Get Past Them
• Apply for a Travel Grant : every month we give away $500 to PhD students and Postdocs so that they can attend a scientific conference. Give it a go - it's really easy to apply.
• Read advice from other scientists - in our Interviews with Scientists' series

Technical Help:

• Molarity Calculator : a quick and easy way to calculate the mass, volume or concentration required for making a solution
• Dilution Calculator : an easy way to work out how to dilute stock solutions of known concentrations
• Mini-reviews, Pathway Posters & Product Guides : a set of technical resources to answer your questions on a wide range of topics and to help you get started quickly
• And - when you get to the stage of planning your experiments, don't forget that we offer a range of agonists, antagonists, inhibitors, activators, antibodies and fluorescent tools at up to half the price of other suppliers (check out our price comparison table to see for yourself!). The range includes:

And finally - don't forget to check back in to the Hello Bio Blog - with features from experts, posts on lab support, events, competitions and some fun stuff along the way!

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Symposium vs. Conference: What's the Difference & How to Plan One

Discover the difference between a symposium and a conference, and get tips on how to plan the ideal in-person or virtual event format.

Written by Brillixa Herdhiana

Deciding between a symposium and a conference for your next in-person or virtual event? Both can set the stage for an engaging event, but it's important to choose the right format for your organization and audience.

In this article, we'll explore key differences between a symposium, a conference, and similar formats. We'll also cover essential steps for planning both event types—including how to maximize audience engagement.

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What's the difference between a symposium and a conference?

What is a symposium, and is it the same as a conference? These two terms are often used interchangeably, as they both refer to formal business or academic gatherings.

However, they are completely different types of events. Let's compare symposium vs. conference in terms of scope, timeframe, size, and other defining elements.

Purpose and scope of a symposium and a conference

A conference is a large-scale event with numerous sessions—often with many occurring simultaneously. Whether you host a business or academic conference, it typically has a unifying theme, but individual sessions can cover a wide range of related topics.

In contrast, a symposium is a small-scale event with a much narrower focus. For example, the healthcare industry and academic institutions often host research-based symposia.

Organization and submissions

Symposiums have a background in academia. They often require potential participants to pitch topics or submit research papers. The symposium's organizers then approve the most promising topics.

Conferences also tend to have an application or submission process for presenters. The conference's organizers then assign speakers to individual presentations or themed group sessions.

Audience interaction during a symposium and a conference

At a symposium, speakers have dedicated time to present their research. After these presentations, symposiums usually invite audience questions and allow networking. As a result, symposiums tend to be more informal.

Conferences are generally more formal, but they can include many different types of session formats. For example, panel discussions focus on conversations between presenters, but workshops encourage audience engagement.

Event timeframe

As a general rule, symposiums have a more defined timeframe, as they happen over the course of a single day. In many cases, they can be shorter. For example, a conference may include multiple half-day symposiums.

In contrast, conferences have much more flexible timeframes. While they can certainly last for just one day, many take place over the course of multiple days or even a week.

Audience size

Of the two event types, conferences tend to be much larger. They may welcome hundreds of attendees, who may attend various sessions happening simultaneously.

Symposiums tend to be smaller. They often take place in a single room, which limits the size of in-person events. Virtual symposiums have the potential to be larger.

How do conferences and symposiums compare to other event formats?

Whether you're planning an in-person or virtual event, you have plenty of format options. Here's how other common event types compare to symposiums and conferences.

The difference between a seminar and a symposium and conference

A seminar is similar to a symposium, as it's an educational event that balances a formal presentation with informal discussion. However, both in-person and virtual seminars tend to focus more on training and less on sharing research.

What is the difference with a roundtable?

A roundtable is a conversation-based event that welcomes both speakers and audience members to participate. Of all event types, roundtables have one of the most informal formats, as they invite discussion from all perspectives.

How is a panel discussion different from a symposium or a conference?

Similar to roundtables, panel discussions are designed to create conversations. However, panels usually focus more on discussions between presenters and moderators. Conferences may include panel discussions as individual sessions.

What is the difference with a workshop?

Like a seminar, a workshop centers on training and education. However, workshops tend to be the most hands-on event formats. Both in-person and virtual workshops show attendees how to complete tasks and often include interactive components.

How to plan a symposium

Organizing a symposium or conference is easier when you have a framework to follow. Follow these steps to host a successful virtual or in-person event.

1. Decide on a topic or theme

Whether you're planning a symposium or a conference, this first step is similar. Begin by choosing a central topic or theme for the event . How exactly?

First, identify trending topics or themes in your professional or academic field. To choose between two compelling topics or to narrow down a longer list, then poll potential audience members and presenters.

Asking the audience isn't a requirement, but it can help you get buy-in from your audience. It can also help you eliminate topics with little interest and focus on themes with more positive responses.

2. Collect submissions

Once you've chosen the main topic for the event, publish a call for submissions in your professional or academic community. Explain the core theme and any sub-topics, and clarify the kind of presentation that would be ideal for the event.

Many conference and symposium organizers put out open calls for submissions. However, if you have specific speakers in mind, make sure to connect with them directly.

3. Choose speakers

Work with your fellow event organizers to evaluate the submissions and choose the most promising speakers . There's no one way to select speakers, but these guidelines can help:

• Consider presenters who are well-known in the field and may draw a larger audience.
• Look for speakers with underrepresented viewpoints to cover a wider range of perspectives.
• Choose speakers with topics on similar themes so you can create a coherent schedule.

4. Confirm keynotes

If you're planning a symposium, skip ahead to the next step. But if you're organizing a conference, take time to plan at least one keynote speech. You may even want to plan one for each day of the event.

Keynote speeches clarify the main theme of the conference or the day's sessions. Experienced speakers or established members of the field generally deliver keynotes, which often attract large audiences.

Keynotes can be major selling points for the entire event , making them important to get right. Rather than relying on submissions, create a shortlist of potential keynote speakers and reach out to them individually.

5. Plan the event schedule

Once you've sent invitations to presenters and any keynote speakers, organize the event schedule.

For a symposium, the schedule will be relatively straightforward. In most cases, you'll plan a single series of presentations during a single day. Make sure to save time for panel discussions and networking.

For a conference, the schedule will be much more complex . Depending on the scope and size of the event, you may need to plan simultaneous sessions across multiple days. If you intend to include various formats—such as seminars or workshops—take care to balance the event types throughout the day.

6. Promote the event

After confirming the speakers and schedule, promote the event to your community. If you're planning a virtual symposium or conference, a platform like Livestorm can make the promotion process seamless.

With Livestorm, you can create custom registration pages that you can link to from your website, social media posts, email marketing content, or community forums.

Once attendees register for the event, Livestorm can handle email reminders automatically. With custom email sequences, you can encourage attendees to add the event to their calendar and boost attendance.

7. Design the event room

Whether you're planning a multi-day conference or a single-day symposium, branding is an essential touch for the event space . With Livestorm integrations like the custom design app, you can change the look of the room and add your company or institutional logo.

8. Host a dry run with guest speakers

Because symposiums and conferences are relatively formal events, it's important to give speakers an opportunity to practice in advance . By hosting a dry run in Livestorm, you can show presenters:

• How the event software works, including controls and technical checks
• What to expect when presenting and how to pace webinar content
• How to interact with other speakers and attendees
• What to do in case of technical difficulties

9. Prepare questions and polls for viewers

Audience engagement tends to work a little differently for conferences vs. symposiums. However, both can benefit from viewer interaction, which can make events more meaningful for audience members.

With Livestorm, you can host live question and answer sessions with speakers, which is ideal for symposiums. The live polls feature can engage conference attendees, gather feedback, and provide ideas for future discussions.

10. Distribute the on-demand replay

Once the conference or symposium ends, the event still has the potential to generate tons of value. For example, you can:

• Distribute the event recordings to attendees so they can catch up on content they missed or rewatch their favorite sessions.
• Turn on-demand replays into lead magnets that build your community while promoting the expertise of your speakers.

Livestorm for your next virtual symposium or conference

Planning a virtual symposium or conference can be much easier than you might think. With a live events streaming platform like Livestorm, you can run truly international conferences or symposiums with speakers and attendees from across the globe.

From promotion to streaming to engagement, Livestorm can set your event up for success. Here's how:

• Pre-built registration pages and automated email sequences to increase attendance
• Browser-based virtual event platform that anyone can use without a download
• Interaction features like polls and live Q&As to keep viewers engaged
• On-demand recordings to distribute and repurpose after the event

When you use Livestorm to organize symposiums and conferences, you can do more than just host a webinar . With our virtual event platform, you can share knowledge, connect your community, and create real value for viewers.

The virtual training templates for healthcare professionals [Toolkit]

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About the author

Brillixa Herdhiana - Growth Manager

Brillixa joined Livestorm as Growth Manager in 2021. Her experience enables her to contribute to business growth through lead generation from ads and organic channels.

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Symposium: Definition, Features, Types, and How to Plan One

Eventyco Event Management

Professionals or people with shared interests in different fields often meet to discuss the latest developments, research, or innovations in their field. These discussions usually take place as conferences, seminars, workshops, and symposiums. However, there are differences between a symposium and others.

According to the international publisher AIJR, a symposium is an academic meeting where the participants, who are usually experts in their field, come together to discuss trends, present papers and make recommendations about a specific subject or topic in their area of expertise.

Differences between Symposium and Conference/Seminar/Workshop

Symposium vs. Conference

A symposium is a meeting of experts in a particular field where the speakers focus on a specific subject or topic. However, a conference is a gathering of people that share the same interest, where the speakers present papers on much broader topics or generalized themes related to a particular field.

Also, because conferences are typically large scale, they can run for several days, while symposium discussions can last for just a day.

Symposium vs. Seminar

In a symposium, experts in a particular field focus on a specific topic, while a seminar is a less formal recurring meeting in an academic setting, or a professional institution led by an instructor who focuses on specific subjects in each meeting. 

Symposium vs. Workshop

Just like a symposium, a workshop is a gathering that focuses on a particular subject, but unlike a symposium, a workshop involves more hands-on activities where participants tend to engage in practical exercises.

Features of a Symposium

Focuses on a specific topic.

A symposium often focuses on a specific topic. For example, if the topic of a symposium is “Using Artificial intelligence in Writing”, all the experts' discussions in the symposium will focus only on artificial intelligence in writing. 

Specialized Expertise

Experts in the field often engage in symposium discussions and presentations. These experts talk about their latest discoveries and innovations on that subject.

Duration/Attendance

Unlike a conference, a symposium typically takes one day, and it is attended by fewer people.

Types of Symposium Sessions

Symposium sessions are of two types: Panel and presenter symposia . In a panel symposium, a group of panelists made up of more than two persons gives their opinions on a specific topic.

A presenter Symposium is a type of symposium where the experts present papers on a particular subject.

Steps on How to Plan a Well-Organized Symposium

If you want to plan a well-organized symposium, it is essential to draw up a plan. Follow these necessary steps to learn how to organize a successful symposium.

1. Choose a Topic for the Symposium

Before organizing a symposium, it is crucial to decide on a topic. Your decision on a topic will be based on an idea you are interested in, a subject many experts are interested in, or a concept relevant to a trending issue.

2. Make a Choice of a Symposium Name

When picking a name for your symposium, you need to be creative about it so that it will pique the interest of the attendees. It should include the name of the subject of discussion.

3. Draw up a Budget

Part of organizing any event is making a financial plan. Drawing up a budget will enable you to discover your funding needs. Your budget should include funding for travel, venue, welfare, and general logistics.

4. Decide on Symposium Speakers

The speakers you will invite for the symposium should typically be experts in the topic you have chosen. You can seek them out by researching about experts in the subject matter; check out what they have written on the said topic, their interviews, podcasts, or their social media posts.

 In addition, the budget you are working with will also determine your choice of speakers. Choosing speakers within the region of the symposium venue may cost less because you may not need to pay for their airfares or accommodation fees. You may only have to include their transportation fees to the venue.

5. Pick a Date

Choose a date that will be convenient for the speakers. This date should also include a deadline for symposium registration and abstract submission. This will help you organize better by knowing the number of attendees you would cater to in the symposium. 

6. Online Registration Option

Choose an online registration option for attendees to register. This medium will also enable you to manage the registration process easily.

7. Search for Sponsors

When you can detect the funding needs of your symposium, you can then proceed to the next stage by looking for sponsors. Ideas for sponsors can include stakeholders, brands, or institutions that have a shared interest in the subject of discussion or can fulfill a particular need in the symposium. For instance, you can contact a drink manufacturing company to provide drinks for the event or a printing press to handle the printing needs of the symposium.

8. Delegate Duties among your organizers/Volunteers

For a well-organized symposium, you need to delegate duties among your fellow organizers or volunteers. That way, everyone knows their individual duties and what is expected of them.

9. Promote the Symposium

You need to promote and create awareness about the symposium, so it can reach your target audience, and this can be done through TV advertisements, radio jingles, or newspaper advertisements.

You can also create social media pages for your symposium and promote it on the pages.

10. Design a Program Agenda

It is crucial to design a program schedule and allocate a particular time duration to every program on the agenda. For example, each speaker or panel discussion should be aware of the duration of time they have to present their idea. The time should also be allocated for various things like tea break, dinner, or questions from the audience during the presentations.

Now that you know the essential steps involved in organizing a symposium, put them into practice by planning and managing your symposium to make it a resounding success.

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What is a symposium?

The history of symposiums, what is the purpose of a symposium, who is involved with a symposium, symposia vs symposium, what are the different types of a symposium , what is the difference between a symposium and a conference, conferences.

This article is the ultimate guide for all information regarding symposiums.

We'll be discovering what they are and the different types of symposiums found in the academic world.

So without further ado, let us delve into the world of symposiums.

In the academic conference sphere, and for the time being, we will disregard a symposium as being interchangeable with a conference (we will cover that later); a symposium could be loosely explained as a mini-conference within a conference.  

They are sometimes also known as panels, workshops, sessions or roundtables.

Along with workshops and breakout rooms, symposia or symposiums usually occur within a conference but can be a standalone event.

Essentially, they are a form of discussion within a small group of people that have come together to discuss a specific topic or the latest developments within their specified field.

They are typically a one-off event but can also be annual. The emphasis is on the event being smaller, intimate and focused on a more specific or singular topic of discussion.

If a topic or research piece requires an "in-depth" discussion and exchange of ideas from experts within the field and a few attendees, then a symposium would be better suited for this occasion.

It’s the Ancient Greeks we have to thank for creating symposiums.

Back in the 7th century BC the Greeks would host parties within their homes which did include food, drink and singing very similar to parties of the 21st century.

However, the main purpose was for the men (typically the highest class of Greek society) to come together and discuss various topics which included politics, philosophy, the latest news and poetry ; et voila symposiums were born.

Often the homes that hosted these Greek symposiums would have a dedicated room for the event, with plush sofas arranged purposefully around the room so each person could see one another while in discussion. Typically, a chair was nominated by the attendees.

Often scenes from symposia would be depicted on the traditional black and red pottery.

The purpose of a symposium is to typically allow experts in a given field to meet, discuss papers/topics in question , and examine the issues and trends associated with the topic. 

From these discussions, solutions and recommendations can develop for the next step to be actioned

The findings from a symposium can be used to help others within the field of research and can endure testing if applicable. Alternatively, this exchange can stimulate others to seek new knowledge and findings within their sector.

Essentially the purpose is to facilitate the free exchange of information.

There are a couple of different formats a symposium can take.

A symposium usually has a Chair (often the symposium submitter) and a discussant. The discussant's role is to read the papers and use their expertise to explore how they advance and further the symposium's topic.

Often symposia gets confused as being different to that of a symposium as if it is another form of this type of event. But this is far from true.  

In actual fact, symposia is simply the plural of symposium.

So we have discussed what a typical symposium entails - a presenter and a panel discuss research work or a topic within their specialised field.

However, there are other ways they can work.For example, a symposium can be organised to solely peer-review submissions.

In this instance, a submission group (a group of researchers) have worked on a project together and collectively submitted their work to be reviewed by their peers in a symposium.  

In this setting, the reviewers can discuss the findings, suggest ways to improve and advise what the next step in their work surrounding their project should be.

In a conference setting, peer reviews typically happen internally beforehand by the conference organisers to decide who is successful at being awarded a session for presenting.

On the surface, they can appear very similar, but in essence, they are very different.

Conferences tend to be:

• On a larger scale
• With many speakers and exhibitors
• It can be an annual event

Their speakers can range from:

• Academics to celebrities
• Career researchers
• Specialist guests invited to speak

Conferences often last over a few days to a week in length, as much information is being broadcasted.

They typically follow a "sessions" format, with various types of sessions presented across the entire event.

These sessions can include (as stated earlier):

• Poster sessions
• Presentations
• Discussions and panels

Due to the size of these events, the sessions will be timetabled and run alongside one another. Allowing for more than one session to be in progress at any time.

Otherwise, a conference would go on for weeks, and that is before the number of attendees is accounted for. 

As we have already discussed, symposiums are on a much smaller scale than a conference.  

They can be:

• Hosted within a conference or on their own
• Their formats are more of a precise and slender focus on one topic and are usually discussed by a panel.

Their duration is much shorter than that of a conference, lasting from a couple of hours to a day, compared to week-long conferences.

A symposium's intention is slightly different to that of a conference. They are designed to facilitate the discussion of the latest research or abstracts that have been submitted.

Attendees can then go away and further research the findings or adapt the findings or research methods into their work.

To have your work spoken about at a symposium, you'll need to submit your research, for example, as part of a group of researchers. If chosen, your findings will be discussed by the presenter and panel hosting the symposium.

Alternatively, symposiums could involve you:

• Submitting your work
• You becoming the presenter of the symposium (if your work is chosen)
• Present your findings and discuss them with other professionals within your industry that are on the panel

The presenters and the pane l of a symposium will be experts within their field and come from various institutions and a range of backgrounds . Thus, allowing for a broad but detailed discussion with opinions from across the specialised field. 

In contrast, at a conference, you get a mixture of speakers from guest speakers and industry thought leaders or "celebrities".

The papers submitted to the symposia are gathered under a specific submission theme , whereas a conference plays host to various topics within a sector. Meaning more ideas are covered in a conference, but there are more detailed discussions within a symposium. 

So remember, a symposium is excellent for discussing research with your peers and being able to implement your findings into further research etc., and a conference is a great way to tell/show your findings from your research to the world.

So, what's your next challenge? A symposium or speaking at a conference?

If you're new to speaking at a conference, we have a guide with eight great tips to help prepare for and present at a conference. You can find it here .

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Our Battle-Tested Guide on How to Organize a Symposium

Symposiums offer opportunities for meaningful discussions, learning from experts, and building networks. The discussions can lead to changes in policies, practices, and perspectives. So how do you host a symposium that will leave a lasting impression on the participants?

But after years of helping organizers plan and execute symposiums, we’ve realized that there are a few steps that can make organizing the event simpler and more successful.

So, in this Superevent guide, we’ll walk you through the process we recommend to organizers for planning and executing a successful symposium—from planning to execution.

Let’s get started.

What Is a Symposium?

Symposiums are events where experts in a particular field or topic come together to discuss an idea, debate a point, or make collective decisions. It’s a forum for learning and dialogue that can lead to real-world change.

If you’re organizing a symposium, there’s a lot to consider, including:

• Venue and format
• Marketing and outreach
• Registration
• Budget and sponsorships
• Follow-up activities

You need to start the planning process with a clear idea of what needs to be done and the right tools to execute the event.

At Superevent , we offer organizers an all-in-one tool for doing just that. From content management to attendee engagement, Superevent offers you the features you need to make your symposium a success. 

Just ask event organizers at leading foundations, like:

• The European Association for Cancer Research
• The International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG)
• The Diabetes Federation

Examples of Symposiums

San antonio breast cancer symposium.

SABCS is a prestigious international scientific symposium that brings together basic scientists and clinicians to exchange knowledge and advancements in breast cancer research.

It is the largest event of its kind, attracting around 10,000 participants from all over the world. The symposium aims to improve the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer while promoting equitable access to quality healthcare services for all patients.

Adobe Summit 2024

The event is scheduled for 15-16 May 2024 in London and virtually. The event will feature prominent industry speakers sharing their insights on digital experiences.

Participants can choose from over 100 in-person sessions across ten tracks to expand their knowledge and network with peers.

International Symposium on Food Safety and Control

This event addresses various food safety and quality challenges, including pandemics, food-borne diseases, conflicts, and climate change.

It emphasizes integrating nuclear techniques into food control systems to enhance food safety and control. The symposium brings together experts and stakeholders to discuss cutting-edge research, future directions, and collaboration opportunities for improving the resilience of the food supply chain.

Why Organize a Symposium?

Feedback and knowledge dissemination.

Organizing a symposium provides an excellent platform for knowledge dissemination and receiving feedback. 

For instance, a climate change research group might organize a symposium to present their latest findings. This allows them to share their work with a broader audience, including other researchers, policymakers, and the public.

Networking Opportunities

Symposiums offer numerous networking opportunities. They bring together professionals from various fields, fostering collaboration and partnerships. 

For example, an architect might meet a city planner or an environmental scientist at a symposium on sustainable urban development. These connections could lead to collaborative projects in the future, benefiting all parties involved.

Improve Your Presentation and Communication Skills

Organizing and participating in a symposium can significantly improve your presentation and communication skills. 

For example, a Ph.D. student presenting their research at a symposium will have the opportunity to practice explaining complex ideas clearly and engagingly. This experience can be invaluable for their future career, whether in academia or industry.

How to Organize a Symposium

Step 1: choose a topic.

The first step in organizing a symposium is to choose a topic.

The topic sets the tone for the event and is crucial in attracting the right audience. It should be something that the organizers are knowledgeable about, passionate about, and that the audience is interested in.

We can’t offer much specific guidance here—but we recommend starting with high-level trends and developments that will likely be influential going forward.

Step 2: Choose a Name

The name of your symposium should be catchy and reflect the discussion topic. It should attract the right audience and give them an idea of what to expect. Selecting the right name for your symposium is a crucial step in planning. The name you choose serves as the initial point of contact with potential attendees and sets the tone for the entire event. 

Here's why the choice of a symposium name is so important and how to make it effective:

• Catchy and easy to remember
• Reflects the core theme or topic
• Attracts the right audience
• Sets clear expectations
• Avoids ambiguity

Most organizers take a literal approach (e.g., “San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium”)—while it might not be the most creative, it limits miscommunications and focuses on what’s important.

Step 3: Draw up a Budget

A detailed budget is essential for the successful organization of a symposium. This should include all potential costs, such as:

• Speaker fees

Symposium costs will vary based on size, and very few guidelines exist.

That said, Human Made has provided a helpful breakdown of their costs for a 300-person in-person developer conference. They spent $85,505 to cover everything from venue hire to swag. Don’t let that high price tag scare you, though—hosting virtual events is usually much cheaper.

Step 4: Decide on Symposium Speakers

Identify and invite speakers who are experts in the topic of your symposium. They will be the main attraction of your event, so choose wisely.

You can take a few routes here—each with pros and cons. 

One common approach is to spring for a well-known headliner. This individual will drum up interest as the star of the show and will likely charge more than other speakers, leaving you with fewer resources for the remaining speakers.

On the other hand, you could also opt to invite multiple smaller-scale speakers without a single headliner. This approach allows for a greater variety of topics and perspectives discussed during your symposium and can help keep costs down.

Step 5: Pick a Date

Choose a date that’s convenient for your target audience and works for all (or at least most) of the speakers who have responded saying they’d be interested. Consider public holidays and other events that might clash with your symposium, too.

Step 6: Choose Your Tools

Modern events require modern solutions. Consider using an event platform to manage the entire symposium to give attendees the seamless, rewarding experience they’re after.

Superevent is an all-in-one event management platform that lets symposium organizers create intuitive web and mobile apps for their events. The apps you create are fully customizable thanks to simple settings and an intuitive content management system.

Plus, there are tons of event-enhancing features to leverage, including:

• Q&As, polls, and voting
• Breakout rooms
• Attendee information (floor plans, personal agendas, and more)
• Live streaming options
• Sponsor pages

Step 7: Search for Sponsors

Sponsors can help cover the costs of your symposium. They provide funds in exchange for something of value, often through increased brand exposure, access to attendee data, speaking opportunities at the event, or discounted event tickets. Identify potential sponsors interested in your event and approach them with a proposal.

Superevent makes it easy to thank your sponsors with a dedicated page on your event app. Attendees can click on a sponsor to learn more about them, get to their website, and see what content they’ve shared.

Step 8: Delegate Duties To Organizers & Volunteers

Delegating duties among your organizers or volunteers is crucial as it helps to plan, track, and control tasks, ensuring that the event remains organized and efficient. It also helps to identify potential cost savings and prioritize tasks based on their importance to the event’s success. 

Step 9: Promote the Symposium

Promotion is key to attracting attendees and ensuring the success of the event. Use various channels such as social media, email newsletters, and press releases to promote your symposium. The more people know about your event, the better.

Step 10: Design a Program Agenda

Finally, design a program agenda that outlines the schedule of events during the symposium. This will help attendees plan their time effectively. A well-crafted conference agenda can enhance attendee engagement, ensure efficient time management, and provide a streamlined conference experience.

With Superevent , attendees can create their own personal agendas based on the speakers and topics you’ve scheduled. They’ll get notifications and reminders for the events they’ve added to their personal agenda so that nothing is forgotten.

Best Practices for Organizing a Symposium

Assemble your a-team.

Assembling a team for your symposium is vital. Your team is the backbone of your symposium. Assemble a team of dedicated individuals passionate about your symposium's purpose. Divide responsibilities clearly among team members to ensure smooth execution.

Your core team will likely include:

• Planning team: Conference venue, accommodation, activities, catering. Administration team: Budgeting, attendee registration, ticket sales. This team/person will also be the main point of contact for questions related to the conference.
• Marketing team: Contacting the media, creating promotional material, managing your website, blog, and social media activities.
• Sponsorship team: Securing sponsors, applying for grants, and fundraising.
• Volunteers: Helping with all on-site activities on the day of the conference: door management, ticket scanning, keeping track of the guest list, manning the wardrobe, guiding people, etc.

Find Ways to Engage Your Audience

Finding ways to engage your audience is key to a successful symposium. Use interactive sessions, Q&A sessions, and networking opportunities to keep your audience engaged. You could also use gamification techniques to make the experience fun and engaging.

Leverage Data to Determine the Symposium’s Success

Leveraging data to determine the success of your symposium is essential. This could include participant feedback, number of attendees, engagement levels, etc. Use this data to identify areas of improvement for future events.

Whether virtual or in-person, organizing a symposium demands careful planning and adherence to best practices. Choosing the right software, setting a clear purpose, and defining a compelling theme are the building blocks of a successful event.

At Superevent , we arm event organizers with all the tools they need to plan events, engage with attendees, and create a successful symposium. Create cross-platform apps that delight attendees and treat yourself to time-saving event management features.

Create a free account and start planning your event.

Learn how to run the perfect event with our free email course

Packed with great tips on how to organize events that engage your attendees. The course is short, actionable and super interesting to implement on your event!

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Panel Discussion 101: How to Host Captivating Conversations

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How to present a paper at symposiums and academic conferences

Paper presentation is one of the important events at symposiums and academic conferences. Did your paper get selected for academic conference? Do you want to know how to present a paper effectively? Follow this article and get more ideas on how to present a paper effectively at symposiums and academic conference.

• Introduction

How to present a paper effectively

Read the paper presentation rules, organize the key ideas, structure the talk.

• Explanation of the core content
• Demonstration of the work
• Results of the work
• Comparison of the work with reference papers or related work

Create PowerPoint Presentation and other supporting materials

Prepare a talk, rehearse the talk, stick to the time limits, reach the venue earlier, break the nervousness, deliver the presentation effectively, encourage questions from the audience.

A very good article and author has given many tips to make a presentation successful in the symposiums and seminars. Nowadays the time allotted for papers for presentation is coming down due to many papers and paucity of time. So it is becoming a quick presentation than a detailed presentation. So one should make their presentation more powerful by making less number of slides highlighting the important points and explaining them as short as possible. A paper getting accepted for a seminar is easy when compared to getting published in a journal. So many papers will be coming to these seminars and time will be reduced. Another important factor is your presentation should be in such a way that it will reach the audience very easily. What I mean is the level of your presentation should be of matching wavelengths of the audience. Then the gathering can appreciate your work. Good work by the author in this article.

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How to Publish Symposium-Based Research Presentations

Presenting your research in a conference or professional meeting symposium is a prestigious accomplishment. In a symposium talk, you present a review of your research and demonstrate how it contributes to the overall symposium topic. Preparing a symposium-based research talk is a major undertaking. However, after presenting symposium talks, many researchers move on to other tasks. All that is left of their effort and contribution is a note on their curriculum vitae that they were a speaker. The scientific content is lost to the memories of the participants and audience. However, by publishing your symposium-based research talk you create a permanent record of your participation. Through publication you also reach a wider target audience than those that were physically present. To foster your publication record, it is good practice to commit your spoken words to writing. With a little more effort, you can publish a paper as well as participate in the symposium.

What is a Symposium-Based Research Article?

A symposium-based research article is a formal document that summarizes the information presented during a symposium at a conference or professional meeting. It typically is a mini-review of a research topic, especially that of a single author or a principal investigator.

Many journals publish symposium-based research articles . There are some publishers who specialize in these types of articles. However, the pathway to publication generally follows two forms: proceedings and independently submitted articles.

Proceedings

The symposium or conference organizers may decide to collectively publish the information presented. This is done in a format called a proceeding . Proceedings report the content of symposium talks in a collection of papers which may take up an entire edition of a journal. It is the responsibility of the organizers to solicit and collect manuscripts from the speakers and to deliver them to the publisher. The decision to publish a proceeding is generally made before the symposium convenes. Authors should be notified at the time of invitation that they would need to produce a manuscript after the meeting. In these cases, it is best to organize the talk with ultimate publication in mind.

Independently Submitted Papers

If the organizers do not plan to publish the symposium in a formal proceeding, you can still publish your talk. In this case, you (the author) will be responsible for locating a suitable journal to submit your manuscript. Many, but not all, journals accept these types of papers. Some journals publish mini-reviews which are a suitable format for your symposium-based research articles. If you are invited to participate in a symposium in which the organizers do not plan to publish proceeding, you should begin exploring how and where you can publish your talk as you develop it; plan ahead. Basically, your paper will be a mini-review of a research topic. This is an excellent means to further your publication track record and reach a wider audience.  Note, it is considered unethical to submit a manuscript for publication before participating in the symposium.

Format of the Symposium-Based Research Article

The specific format will be determined by the journal to which you are submitting your paper. Unlike a normal review, the symposium-based research article is much shorter in length and limited in scope. The length will be determined by the journal with 3,000-6,000 words being typical. Your paper should include tables and figures if appropriate. Generally, the paper will follow a review format and have the following or similar sections:

• Introduction
• Main Body of Topics (with headings and sub-headings)
• Conclusions

Symposium-based research articles are based on lengthy, in depth symposium talks, not the typical short 10-minute journal papers given at meetings.  The latter normally present a single experiment/project which is often not finished or published.

As a researcher, you should always seek out and accept opportunities to participate in conference symposia . These are excellent ways to reach your audience and further your career. The talks you give are also opportunities which can lead to publications. As you develop your presentation, think about how to get a publication out of your efforts. Begin planning and writing your symposium-based research article as you prepare your talk.

Have you attended a symposium where you presented your research? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Conference Presentation References

This page contains reference examples for works presented at conferences and meetings, including the following:

• Conference presentation
• Abstract of a conference presentation

1. Conference presentation

Evans, A. C., Jr., Garbarino, J., Bocanegra, E., Kinscherff, R. T., & Márquez-Greene, N. (2019, August 8–11). Gun violence: An event on the power of community [Conference presentation]. APA 2019 Convention, Chicago, IL, United States. https://convention.apa.org/2019-video

• Parenthetical citation : (Evans et al., 2019)
• Narrative citation : Evans et al. (2019)
• Provide the names of the presenters in the author element of the reference.
• Provide the full dates of the conference in the date element of the reference.
• Describe the presentation in square brackets after the title. The description is flexible (e.g., “[Conference session],” “[Paper presentation],” “[Poster session],” “[Keynote address]”).
• Provide the name of the conference or meeting and its location in the source element of the reference.
• If video of the conference presentation is available, include a link at the end of the reference.

2. Abstract of a conference presentation

Cacioppo, S. (2019, April 25–28). Evolutionary theory of social connections: Past, present, and future [Conference presentation abstract]. Ninety-ninth annual convention of the Western Psychological Association, Pasadena, CA, United States. https://westernpsych.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/WPA-Program-2019-Final-2.pdf

• Parenthetical citation : (Cacioppo, 2019)
• Narrative citation : Cacioppo (2019)
• To cite only the abstract of a conference presentation, include the word “abstract” as part of the bracketed description (e.g., “[Conference presentation abstract]”).

Conference presentation references are covered in the seventh edition Publication Manual Section 10.5

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The Symposium Method of Teaching | Purpose, Advantages & Examples

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In this article, we have covered the Symposium method of teaching with definitions, advantages, limitations, Examples, and the purpose of the symposium method of teaching .

What is SYMPOSIUM?

The word “symposium” could mean more than one thing. To begin, Plato used this phrase for “good dialogue” to talk about his ideas about God. Another sense of the word is intellectual fun or relaxation. Recently, the word has come to mean a gathering of people to talk about a problem or theme. The points of view on a theme are shown in a certain order. Each part of a theme is talked about by an expert on that subject.

Symposium used to mean a drinking party (the Greek verb sympotein means “to drink together”), but now it can mean any academic conference or a type of university class where students talk to each other instead of listening to a lesson and answering questions. This is what en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symposium_(Plato) says.

A gathering of several experts in a certain field where papers from experts on specific topics are given and talked about in order to make suggestions about the issues being talked about.

In this sense, a symposium is a public meeting or gathering where people talk about a subject. Usually, the participants sit in an audience and give presentations.

Symposium is a way to learn at a better level. It’s a way to teach that helps students reach better cognitive and emotional goals.”The symposium technique or forum is a great way to educate an audience, make opinions clear, and get people ready to make decisions about policies, values, judgments, or understanding.”

Example of Symposium Method of Teaching

For example, a symposium can be set up so that entries are only reviewed by other experts.

In this case, a submission group, which is a group of researchers working on a project together, sent their work to a conference so that their peers could look it over.

The judges can talk about the results, make suggestions for how to make things better, and tell the authors what the next step in their work on the project should be.

Objective or Purpose of Symposium Method of Teaching

The symposium’s main goal is to help students and listeners understand a certain theme or problem in order to form certain ideals and feelings.

The main goals of the discussion method are the following:

• To find and understand different parts of the theme and problems.
• To get better at making choices and judgments about problems.
• To figure out what you think and feel about a problem.
• To give people the information they need to make decisions about a problem or theme.

Advantages of Symposium Method of Teaching

The symposium method of teaching has several advantages, including: 

• Interactive learning:  The symposium method encourages active participation and sharing of thoughts from everyone in the class.
• Large groups:  The symposium method can be used to address a large group or class.
• Broad topics:  The symposium method can be used to present broad topics for discussion.
• Specific topics:  The symposium method can be better suited for in-depth discussions of specific topics.
• Expert presenters:  The presenters are experts on the topic and may have done extensive research.
• Panel discussion:  The event can switch to a panel discussion after the presentations are completed.

Mechanism of Symposium Teaching Method

A symposium is a type of meeting in which two or more speakers talk for ten to twenty minutes about different ways to solve a problem or show parts of a policy, process, or program. Like in a panel forum, questions or comments from the crowd come after the speeches. The talks could be convincing, argumentative, educational, or moving.

Each speech goes on without a break. The chairman of the symposium presents the subject, talks about how important it is, and sometimes points out the main ways to go about it. The symposium platform is a great way to educate an audience, solidify an opinion, and generally get people ready to make decisions, policies, value judgments, or understandings. Participants in a symposium don’t need to do anything but listen carefully unless they want to talk about the topic after the speeches.

After the speeches, everyone in the performing group can sit in a straight line behind a table or chairs next to it, with the chairman in the middle or to one side of the speakers. The seating arrangement can be based on opinion or to keep the peace if the meeting has two points of view that are at odds with each other.

Characteristics of Symposium

• It gives you a general idea of what a problem or theme is about.
• The listeners are given a chance to decide what to do about the problem.
• It is used for more advanced lessons to work on specific issues and themes.
• It helps people feel like they can work together and fit in.
• The symposium method is used to achieve the creativity goals of synthesis and evaluation.
• It gives different points of view on a theme or subject.

Considerations to Take When Planning a Symposium

The person in charge of the discussion should make sure that the guests are ready, or make sure that they are.They should know how the forum will be run, the rules of process, and the order in which people will speak. They should know what the other artists are thinking and where they come from.Like the panelists, they might do well with a short warm-up.

The chairman or whoever is in charge of training the agents shouldn’t try to stack the deck by leaving out or ignoring important parts of the problem when choosing or delegating his speakers. Misunderstandings or omissions that were made by accident should not be taken up.It is dangerous to purposely change or leave out an important point of view.

. In every forum situation, the chairman needs to carefully plan for the questioning time that comes after the planned speeches, unless he wants to risk people getting bored or shutting down.

Some Ideas for a Symposium

It is possible to reach higher cognitive and effective goals with the symposium methods. The following are some ideas for education symposiums:1. Making use of TV to learn2.What role does online learning play in our education?3. The use of both essay and quantitative tests.4.The school semester system5.The reasons why kids are upset6.Ensuring the quality of study in education.7. The use of microteaching to train teachers.8. School teams that teach together.9. Action study used in the classroom10.What role does teaching technology play in our schools?

Limitations of Symposium Method

The chairman doesn’t have any say over the speakers; they choose the topic for the talk on their own. They can talk about any part of the problem or theme.

• A lot of the same thing is said because each person prepares the theme as a whole. Not each part of the theme is made separately. It makes it hard for the listener to understand.
• The listeners can’t understand the theme right because different parts of it are being shown at the same time.
• The viewers don’t do anything because they aren’t given the chance to ask questions or get more information.
• The theme’s talk and presentation are not summed up at the end. People take part and come to their own conclusions.
• The method is used to reach the more important cognitive domain goals, but the affective domain goals aren’t stressed enough.

What is the difference between a symposium and a conference?

A symposium is a smaller, more focused event that focuses on one topic. A conference, on the other hand, is bigger and covers a wider range of topics.

Conferences and symposiums are similar events where speakers discuss a topic. A symposia is a one-day conference with fewer delegates. Symposiums are relaxed.

Symposiums feature lectures by experts, while conferences cover many topics. A conference can contain hundreds or a few. A symposium might be a one-time event or a major scientific society convention. Conferences may review applications in pairs. Sometimes symposia evaluate them alone.

Sometimes conference materials treat symposia as another session type. Unlike symposia, a conference may focus on presentations and lectures. Workshops are usually more hands-on and specific.

Similarities Between A Symposium And A Conference

Even though symposiums and conferences are not the same, they do share some traits! Two groups of people are getting together to share knowledge with those who are there. Scholarly events of both types leave people with something to think about after the event is over. Certain people share information with the group, even if they don’t know much about it. At both workshops and symposiums, there should be time for networking. You never know who you might meet!

Read Also: What is Research: Definition, Research Methods, Types

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Symposium Vs. Conference - What’s the Difference?

Symposiums and conferences can often be interchanged when talking about an educational and informational event. However, there are a few key differences between the two, and this guide will help you choose the correct format for your company and your event goals!

What Is A Conference?

According to a survey by Statista , the global conference and event planning market was valued at $1.1 trillion in 2019 and is projected to reach $1.4 trillion by 2027. Conferences are events typically on the larger size that cover a wide array of topics spanning over the course of a few days. Multiple themes and/or topics can be discussed, and because these topics can be so broad, conference organizers can create sessions held within the larger conference. Sessions held within the conference may include panels, workshops and presentations. The presenters for a conference can be multiple people, who have done extensive research on the information they are presenting. 

What Is A Symposium?

In contrast to a conference, a symposium is smaller in size and is held over the course of just one day. All of the attendees are placed in one room or a lecture hall, while the presenters show their data. Symposiums also allow an exchange of thoughts and ideas between both presenters and attendees. Symposiums usually tend to focus on one central topic, as opposed to several general topics. The presenters during a symposium are usually experts in their field, and it may be only one person presenting throughout the course of the day.

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Differences Between a Symposium & a Conference

While conferences and symposiums may seem similar on paper, some main differences set them apart! Below are some key points that show the differences between a symposium and a conference. 

Symposiums:

As discussed above, symposiums tend to focus on one main topic to discuss over the day, rather than several topics. Symposiums are usually less formal than a conference, which opens the door for more discussion between attendees and the symposium host. More conversation eventually leads to more learning for everyone! The presenters are experts in their field, as they present their data, findings and published papers. 

When it comes to organizing a symposium, you should follow a checklist in order to create a successful event ! The first step would be to select your topic. What do you want your guests to learn about, and what do you want your presenters to share? There may be a group of presenters that have a new paper published or they may have new data to present. If this is the case, you can plan your symposium around those topics. From there, you will know exactly which presenters to invite! Next, consider your event budget . This will help event planners have a clear picture on how much to spend on the symposium. The next step is to draft a day-of-event timeline, adding in all breaks and networking opportunities. Once all of this is completed, you can then start to send out your invitations to your guests! Once the event is done, you can then send out thank yous and post-event surveys . Collecting data from the post-event surveys helps event organizers plan for future events and know what worked within the event and what didn’t work.

Typically, symposiums are much smaller than a conference. Smaller groups of people come together to learn about a certain topic, as opposed to a conference which can host hundreds of people. Fewer guests allow for an exchange of ideas, thoughts or even concerns between attendees and symposium presenters. If time allows, everyone who attends the symposium can have a chance to speak if they wish. If one of your event goals is to interact with your audience, then choosing a symposium would be the best event to choose.

A symposium has a narrow focus on one topic, and the presenters are experts on that topic. Presenters may have done extensive research, searched through data or even wrote papers on the topic at hand! Once the presentations are completed, then the event can switch gears and turn into a panel discussion. Attendees can ask any questions they might have about the topic, and they may learn even more information. This is the best way for guests to learn about the topic while in the presence of the experts. At the end of the presentation, there should be time left for networking. Networking connects guests with one another who might not ordinarily get to connect with one another.

• Submissions

Submissions for a symposium are done as a collective effort by the presenters. From there, the submissions get reviewed by a group of peers. The final step is to present these submissions to the group. 

The duration of a symposium usually lasts one day. It can begin in the morning, usually breaking for lunch in the middle of the day. As the day draws to a close, be sure to add time for networking. Once the networking time is over, the symposium can come to a close with some closing remarks from both the symposium presenters and event organizers.

Conferences:

Conferences are broader in focus, as there are several topics that are discussed within a conference. There may even be multiple themes covered. Conferences are much larger than symposiums and span over the course of a few days. Conferences are more formal than symposiums, therefore there is no input or discussion from the attendees. There are many more people that can attend a conference, and they might even have an opportunity to be split up into smaller groups and have a smaller group discussion! 

When it comes to organizing for a conference, you can closely follow the organizing strategy of a symposium! First, start by planning your conference strategy. Event organizers need to decide how many days the conference will be, how many speakers there will be and how many topics they will be covering. From there, you can then decide who your guest speakers will be. Once you have the guest speakers and the topics secured, you can then begin to formulate the guest list. Depending on the number of guests you are inviting, your venue should reflect that. You don’t want to choose a venue that is too small nor too big. As the conference draws closer, you will want to create a day-of event agenda . The agenda, especially because of the size of the event, will keep everyone organized on track! If you choose to, you can create a conference website which can be where guests register and RSVP for the event, as well as provide a countdown to the conference. This will help create a sense of urgency for guests to register or buy tickets . From there, you can then send out invitations, and once the event is over, you can send out thank you notes and post-event surveys . The surveys will help event organizers collect feedback in order to help create any future events.

Conferences are much larger than a symposium and can host hundreds of guests. Conferences can be held either in-person or virtually, and if the conference is virtual , you have the ability to host even more guests! 

Conferences have a much broader focus, with presenters speaking about a multitude of subjects! Because there are so many guests who can attend a conference, you also have the ability to break up into smaller groups. These sessions can be mini panels, breakout rooms or Q&A sessions. This allows guests to ask any questions or learn even more about the subjects at hand. They can also work together to brainstorm any new ideas that once the big group reconvenes, they can share those ideas with everyone. 

When it comes to submissions, conference presenters can submit their findings on an individual basis. They can then be reviewed in isolation by a team of experts. Once the submissions have been submitted and reviewed, then the presenters can present their findings to the group of attendees!

A conference, as mentioned above, is much longer than a symposium. Conferences have the ability to last for days, as opposed to a symposium which is only a one day event. 

Similarities Between A Symposium And A Conference

Symposiums and conferences, while they are different, they do have a few similarities! Both of them are gatherings of people and they are designed to present information to the attendees. Both types of events are scholarly in nature, with the attendees taking something away when the event is over. There are people who present information to the group, whether they are experts on the subject or not. Both symposiums and conferences should have time for networking, as you never know who you might make a connection with! 

How To Network At A Symposium Or A Conference

Both symposiums and conferences should have a time for networking , as it is the best way to make connections for both your personal and professional life! In order to have a successful networking session, keep these tips in mind:

• Have Goals Set In Place

As you enter the symposium or conference, you should have both personal and professional goals in mind. When it comes to networking, you should try to set a goal to meet a certain amount of new people. The number doesn’t have to be large, but you should be putting yourself out there to meet new people. The connections you make at these events can help you in both your personal and professional life. At the end of the event, you should have met your goal of new people you wanted to meet. Be sure you don’t spend too much time talking to one person; while the conversation might be great, spreading yourself out and making connections is the main idea of the networking time. 

• Go Prepared

Networking is all about connecting and meeting new people, and you want to keep those connections long after the event is over. By coming to the networking time prepared, you can be sure that you will be able to keep in touch with everyone you meet! By having business cards or immediate access to your LinkedIn page, you can connect immediately with whoever you’re speaking to. Also, the use of name tags is helpful for everyone, as you can put your name as well as the company you work for, which makes it easy to introduce yourself!

• Be Approachable

While networking can be a little nerve wracking, being approachable and friendly will take you far! Try to avoid using your phone too much, as it makes you look busy or uninterested in what is happening around you. If you see someone standing alone, take the initiative to walk up to them and strike up a conversation. You never know who that person may be and the connections you can receive from talking to them!

• Be Ready With Conversation Starters

Sometimes, by no fault of anybody, the conversation seems to get stuck. You’ve talked about your name, what you do and where you live. However, once those conversations are done, you may not know where to go from there. Some questions to ask may include “What are you hoping to get out of this conference or symposium?” or “What speakers are you looking forward to the most?” These questions allow you to get a better insight into who you’re talking to and what they are looking to take away from the event.

• Use Social Media

While you’re at the conference or symposium, use social media to your advantage! You can tweet using an event hashtag to gain exposure. You can also post any pictures you took, using the hashtag, as well as tag any people you may have met. You can also post any positive feedback about the event to your own social media and have all of your friends and followers see what you have to say about the event.

• Follow Up With New Connections

There’s a chance you may meet many new people at your conference or symposium. If this happens to you, that’s great. You made connections with new people and now comes the time to stay connected with them. Once the event is over, whichever way you connect with people, send them a follow up message. Be sure to thank them for taking the time to talk with you at the event, and let them know they can reach out any time if there is anything you can do for them.

FAQs on symposiums and conferences

• What is the difference between a symposium and a conference? A symposium is typically a smaller and more focused event that centers on a specific topic, while a conference is larger and covers a broader range of topics.
• How do I choose a venue for my event? Consider factors such as location, capacity, amenities, and cost. It's also important to choose a venue that fits the size and tone of your event.
• How do I attract attendees to my event? Promote your event through social media, email marketing, advertising, and word-of-mouth. Offer early-bird discounts or other incentives to encourage people to register.
• How do I select speakers for my event? Choose speakers who are experts in their field and can provide valuable insights and perspectives on the event's topic. Consider diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity, and background.
• How do I create a program for my event? Plan out the event's schedule, including sessions, breaks, and networking opportunities. Balance different types of sessions, such as keynote speakers, panels, and workshops, and make sure there is enough time for Q&A and discussion.
• How do I manage logistics such as catering, AV, and accommodations? Work with vendors and contractors who have experience in event planning and can handle logistics such as catering, AV, and accommodations. Communicate clearly and regularly with these vendors to ensure everything runs smoothly.
• How do I ensure a successful event? Plan early, communicate effectively, and be adaptable to changes and challenges. Collect feedback from attendees and stakeholders and use it to improve future events.

Whether you choose to host a symposium or a conference, your attendees are going to benefit from the information passed along to them! Based on your event goals, you may want your presenters to interact with the attendees, and the guest list might be smaller. If this is the case, a symposium would be the event to host. If there are too many topics you wish to cover in just one day, then hosting a multi-day conference is the way to go. Whatever event you choose, your presenters and attendees will receive the information needed for a successful event. The networking that can be done at a symposium or a conference can bring connections that will last a lifetime.

And if you want to take your symposium or conference to the next level, Hubilo is here for you. Hubilo is an all-in-one event management platform that can help you plan, promote, and execute successful symposiums and conferences. With Hubilo, you can create custom event websites, manage registrations, track attendee engagement, and more. The platform also includes features such as virtual event hosting, networking tools, and session management, making it an ideal solution for both in-person and virtual events. To see how Hubilo can take your event planning to the next level, request a demo today.

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WWDC24 Highlights

Apple Reveals Apple Intelligence

iOS 18 Makes iPhone More Personal and Intelligent Than Ever

iPadOS 18 Takes iPad to the Next Level

macOS Sequoia Brings New Ways of Working and Transformative Intelligence to Mac

watchOS 11 Offers Powerful Health and Fitness Insights, and More Personalization

visionOS 2 Brings New Spatial Computing Experiences to Apple Vision Pro

Home and Audio Updates Elevate Entertainment and Bring More Convenience

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June 10, 2024

Relive the biggest moments from WWDC24

Today Apple kicked off its 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference, revealing groundbreaking new technologies and features during a keynote that was live-streamed from Apple Park to millions around the world. During the weeklong event, developers and students will have unique access to Apple experts, as well as insight into new tools, frameworks, and features to help elevate their apps and games.

This year’s keynote revealed Apple Intelligence , the personal intelligence system that combines the power of generative models with users’ personal context — at the core of iPhone, iPad, and Mac to deliver intelligence that’s incredibly useful and relevant. Major updates also come to iOS 18 , iPadOS 18 , macOS Sequoia , and watchOS 11 , including the biggest-ever redesign of the Photos app, game-changing productivity tools, and new ways for users to express themselves and customize their devices. visionOS 2 brings powerful new ways to interact with Apple Vision Pro and exciting updates to spatial photos and Mac Virtual Display, and tvOS 18 infuses useful information in Apple TV+ films and shows on users’ biggest screen in the home.

Beginning this month, Apple Vision Pro is also coming to more countries and regions, including China mainland, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and next month will come to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the U.K.

Apple Intelligence harnesses the power of Apple silicon to understand and create language and images, take action across apps, and draw from users’ personal context to simplify and accelerate everyday tasks. A cornerstone of Apple Intelligence is on-device processing, which delivers personal intelligence without collecting users’ data. Private Cloud Compute sets a new standard for privacy in AI, with the ability to flex and scale computational capacity between on-device processing, and larger, server-based models that run on dedicated Apple silicon servers.

With iOS 18 , users will now be able to arrange apps and widgets in any open space on the Home Screen, customize the buttons at the bottom of the Lock Screen, and quickly access more controls in Control Center. With the biggest redesign ever of the Photos app, photo libraries are automatically organized in a new single view in Photos, and helpful new collections keep favorites easily accessible. All-new text effects come to iMessage, amplifying any letter, word, phrase, or emoji with dynamic, animated appearances to bring conversations to life. Users can also now communicate over satellite in the Messages app, even when a cellular or Wi-Fi connection isn’t available.

With iPadOS 18 , the iPad experience is more versatile and intelligent than ever with new features and apps designed for Apple Pencil. The Calculator app comes to iPad with Math Notes, which allows users to type or write out mathematical expressions and see them instantly solved in their own handwriting. New handwriting tools in Notes including Smart Script make handwritten notes more fluid, flexible, and easier to read.

With macOS Sequoia , Continuity between iPhone and Mac gets better than ever with iPhone Mirroring, enabling full access to and control of iPhone directly from Mac. Safari gets another big update with the new Highlights feature for effortless information discovery on webpages while browsing. Gaming is even more immersive with Personalized Spatial Audio that puts players in the middle of the action like never before. And Apple Intelligence unlocks new ways for Mac users to enhance their writing and communicate more effectively, create playful images in seconds, and more. Apple Intelligence takes full advantage of the power of Apple silicon and its Neural Engine, and will be supported by every Mac with an M-series chip.

watchOS 11 offers breakthrough insights into users’ health and fitness, and more personalization than ever. The new Vitals app surfaces key health metrics and context, the ability to measure training load offers a game-changing new experience when working out, and the popular Activity rings are even more customizable. The Smart Stack and Photos face use intelligence to feature more individualization, and Apple Watch and the Health app on iPhone and iPad offer additional support for users who are pregnant. Check In, the Translate app, and new capabilities for the double tap gesture come to Apple Watch for added connectivity and convenience.

Just months after its initial release, visionOS 2 brings powerful spatial computing experiences to Apple Vision Pro, including new ways for users to create spatial photos with the images already in their library, intuitive hand gestures to easily access important information at a glance, and new features for Mac Virtual Display, Travel Mode, and Guest User. visionOS 2 also introduces exciting new capabilities like Follow Your Breathing in the Mindfulness app, SharePlay for Photos, and multiview in the TV app.

With tvOS 18 , intelligent new features like InSight — and updates to Enhance Dialogue and subtitles — level up cinematic experiences, while new Apple Fitness+, Apple Music, and FaceTime capabilities get even better on users’ biggest screen. The Home app gains new features with iOS 18, like guest access and hands-free unlock with home keys, delivering effortless and secure access to the home. AirPods software updates will transform the way users respond to Siri with new gestures, take calls with friends and loved ones, and immerse themselves in their favorite games.

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Symposium highlights scale of mental health crisis and novel methods of diagnosis and treatment

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Digital technologies, such as smartphones and machine learning, have revolutionized education. At the McGovern Institute for Brain Research’s 2024 Spring Symposium, “Transformational Strategies in Mental Health,” experts from across the sciences — including psychiatry, psychology, neuroscience, computer science, and others — agreed that these technologies could also play a significant role in advancing the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders and neurological conditions.

Co-hosted by the McGovern Institute, MIT Open Learning, McClean Hospital, the Poitras Center for Psychiatric Disorders Research at MIT, and the Wellcome Trust, the symposium raised the alarm about the rise in mental health challenges and showcased the potential for novel diagnostic and treatment methods.

John Gabrieli, the Grover Hermann Professor of Health Sciences and Technology at MIT, kicked off the symposium with a call for an effort on par with the Manhattan Project, which in the 1940s saw leading scientists collaborate to do what seemed impossible. While the challenge of mental health is quite different, Gabrieli stressed, the complexity and urgency of the issue are similar. In his later talk, “How can science serve psychiatry to enhance mental health?,” he noted a 35 percent rise in teen suicide deaths between 1999 and 2000 and, between 2007 and 2015, a 100 percent increase in emergency room visits for youths ages 5 to 18 who experienced a suicide attempt or suicidal ideation.

“We have no moral ambiguity, but all of us speaking today are having this meeting in part because we feel this urgency,” said Gabrieli, who is also a professor of brain and cognitive sciences, the director of the Integrated Learning Initiative (MITili) at MIT Open Learning, and a member of the McGovern Institute. "We have to do something together as a community of scientists and partners of all kinds to make a difference.”

An urgent problem

In 2021, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on the increase in mental health challenges in youth; in 2023, he issued another, warning of the effects of social media on youth mental health. At the symposium, Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli, a research affiliate at the McGovern Institute and a professor of psychology and director of the Biomedical Imaging Center at Northeastern University, cited these recent advisories, saying they underscore the need to “innovate new methods of intervention.”

Other symposium speakers also highlighted evidence of growing mental health challenges for youth and adolescents. Christian Webb, associate professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School, stated that by the end of adolescence, 15-20 percent of teens will have experienced at least one episode of clinical depression, with girls facing the highest risk. Most teens who experience depression receive no treatment, he added.

Adults who experience mental health challenges need new interventions, too. John Krystal, the Robert L. McNeil Jr. Professor of Translational Research and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine, pointed to the limited efficacy of antidepressants, which typically take about two months to have an effect on the patient. Patients with treatment-resistant depression face a 75 percent likelihood of relapse within a year of starting antidepressants. Treatments for other mental health disorders, including bipolar and psychotic disorders, have serious side effects that can deter patients from adherence, said Virginie-Anne Chouinard, director of research at McLean OnTrackTM, a program for first episode psychosis at McLean Hospital.

New treatments, new technologies

Emerging technologies, including smartphone technology and artificial intelligence, are key to the interventions that symposium speakers shared.

In a talk on AI and the brain, Dina Katabi, the Thuan and Nicole Pham Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT, discussed novel ways to detect Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's, among other diseases. Early-stage research involved developing devices that can analyze how movement within a space impacts the surrounding electromagnetic field, as well as how wireless signals can detect breathing and sleep stages.

“I realize this may sound like la-la land,” Katabi said. “But it’s not! This device is used today by real patients, enabled by a revolution in neural networks and AI.”

Parkinson’s disease often cannot be diagnosed until significant impairment has already occurred. In a set of studies, Katabi’s team collected data on nocturnal breathing and trained a custom neural network to detect occurrences of Parkinson’s. They found the network was over 90 percent accurate in its detection. Next, the team used AI to analyze two sets of breathing data collected from patients at a six-year interval. Could their custom neural network identify patients who did not have a Parkinson’s diagnosis on the first visit, but subsequently received one? The answer was largely yes: Machine learning identified 75 percent of patients who would go on to receive a diagnosis.

Detecting high-risk patients at an early stage could make a substantial difference for intervention and treatment. Similarly, research by Jordan Smoller, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and director of the Center for Precision Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, demonstrated that AI-aided suicide risk prediction model could detect 45 percent of suicide attempts or deaths with 90 percent specificity, about two to three years in advance.

Other presentations, including a series of lightning talks, shared new and emerging treatments, such as the use of ketamine to treat depression; the use of smartphones, including daily text surveys and mindfulness apps, in treating depression in adolescents; metabolic interventions for psychotic disorders; the use of machine learning to detect impairment from THC intoxication; and family-focused treatment, rather than individual therapy, for youth depression.

Advancing understanding

The frequency and severity of adverse mental health events for children, adolescents, and adults demonstrate the necessity of funding for mental health research — and the open sharing of these findings.

Niall Boyce, head of mental health field building at the Wellcome Trust — a global charitable foundation dedicated to using science to solve urgent health challenges — outlined the foundation’s funding philosophy of supporting research that is “collaborative, coherent, and focused” and centers on “What is most important to those most affected?” Wellcome research managers Anum Farid and Tayla McCloud stressed the importance of projects that involve people with lived experience of mental health challenges and “blue sky thinking” that takes risks and can advance understanding in innovative ways. Wellcome requires that all published research resulting from its funding be open and accessible in order to maximize their benefits. 

Whether through therapeutic models, pharmaceutical treatments, or machine learning, symposium speakers agreed that transformative approaches to mental health call for collaboration and innovation.

“Understanding mental health requires us to understand the unbelievable diversity of humans,” Gabrieli said. “We have to use all the tools we have now to develop new treatments that will work for people for whom our conventional treatments don’t.”

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6/17 (Mon) ~ 6/21 (Fri), 2024 At Seattle Convention Center in Seattle, US

The IEEE / CVF Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition Conference (CVPR) is the premier annual computer vision event comprising the main conference and several co-located workshops and short courses. Sony is proud to be a Platinum Level sponsor of CVPR this year. We look forward to this year's exciting sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, featuring a variety of ways to connect with participants in person.

Please visit the Sony booth and ask us anything. Location: #1439 @ Arch Hall 4AB Sony Booth Open Hours: - Wednesday, June 19 | 10:00 – 18:30 - Thursday, June 20 | 10:00 – 18:30 - Friday, June 21 | 10:00 – 15:00

Technology Presentations / Demonstrations / Information Sessions

We will have technology presentations, demonstrations and information sessions at Sony Booth (#1439 at Arch Hall 4AB). * This schedule is subject to change (The latest schedule is always available at Sony Booth)

aibo PICKS UP ANYTHING!

Presenter: Shunichi Sekiguchi Date / Time: - Wednesday, June 19 | 10:45 - 11:00 - Thursday, June 20 | 11:15 - 11:30 - Friday, June 21 | 11:30 - 11:45 Date / Time: - Wednesday, June 19 | 10:00 – 18:30 - Thursday, June 20 | 10:00 – 18:30 - Friday, June 21 | 10:00 – 15:00 - aibo (Official Website) - aibo PICKS UP ANYTHING! (Youtube)

FedMef: Towards Memory-efficient Federated Dynamic Pruning

Presenter: Weiming Zhuang Date / Time: - Wednesday, June 19 | 11:00 - 11:15 - Thursday, June 20 | 11:30 - 11:45 - Friday, June 21 | 10:45 - 11:00 - FedMef: Towards Memory-efficient Federated Dynamic Pruning (OpenReview.net)

Sony AI - Deep Generative Model/Hearing Anything Anywhere

Presenter: Ryosuke Sawata Date / Time: - Wednesday, June 19 | 17:30 - 17:45 - Thursday, June 20 | 18:00 - 18:15 - Friday, June 21 | 11:15 - 11:30 - Hearing Anything Anywhere

NeISF: Neural Incident Stokes Field for Geometry and Material Estimation

Presenter: Hajime Mihara Date / Time: - Wednesday, June 19 | 11:15 - 11:30 - Thursday, June 20 | 17:30 - 17:45 - NeISF: Neural Incident Stokes Field for Geometry and Material Estimation (arxiv)

RGB + Depth + Event: Human Sensing for Gaming

Presenter: Naoyuki Miyada Date / Time: - Wednesday, June 19 | 11:30 - 11:45 - Thursday, June 20 | 17:45 - 18:00 - Friday, June 21 | 11:00 - 11:15

InstructIR: High-Quality Image Restoration Following Human Instructions

Presenter: Marcos Conde Date / Time: - Wednesday, June 19 | 17:45 - 18:00 - Thursday, June 20 | 11:45 - 12:00 - InstructIR: High-Quality Image Restoration Following Human Instructions (Github) / Teaser Image - InstructIR: High-Quality Image Restoration Following Human Instructions (arxiv) - InstructIR: High-Quality Image Restoration Following Human Instructions (Hagging Face)

Information Session – Corporate Introduction

Date / Time: - Wednesday, June 19 | 11:45 - 12:00, 18:00 - 18:15 - Thursday, June 20 | 11:00 - 11:15, 18:00 - 18:15 - Friday, June 21 | 11:45 - 12:00

Technical Programs at CVPR 2024

Poster session.

FedMef: Towards Memory-efficient Federated Dynamic Pruning - Authors : Hong Huang, Weiming Zhuang (Sony Research), Chen Chen (Sony AI), Lingjuan Lyu (Sony AI) - Date/Time : Friday, June 21 | 17:15 - 18:45 (Poster Session 6) - Location : Arch 4A-E

Hearing Anything Anywhere - Authors : Mason Wang, Ryosuke Sawata (Sony Research), Samuel Clarke, Ruohan Gao, Shangzhe Wu, Jiajun Wu - Date/Time : Thursday, June 20 | 10:30 - 12:00 (Poster Session 3) - Location : Arch 4A-E

NeISF: Neural Incident Stokes Field for Geometry and Material Estimation - Authors : Chenhao Li (Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation), Taishi Ono (Sony Europe B.V.), Takeshi Uemori (Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation), Hajime Mihara (Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation), Alexander Gatto (Sony Europe B.V.), Hajime Nagahara, Yusuke Moriuchi (Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation) - Date/Time : Friday, June 21 | 10:30 - 12:00 (Poster Session 5) - Location : Arch 4A-E

DPHMs: Diffusion Parametric Head Models for Depth-based Tracking - Authors : Jiapeng Tang, Angela Dai, Yinyu Nie, Lev Markhasin (Sony Semiconductor Solutions Europe), Justus Thies, Matthias Nießner - Date/Time : Wednesday, June 19 | 10:30 - 12:00 (Poster Session 1) - Location : Arch 4A-E

DiffuScene: Denoising Diffusion Models for Generative Indoor Scene Synthesis - Authors : Jiapeng Tang, Yinyu Nie, Lev Markhasin (Sony Semiconductor Solutions Europe), Angela Dai, Justus Thies, Matthias Nießner - Date/Time : Friday, June 21 | 10:30 - 12:00 (Poster Session 5) - Location : Arch 4A-E

ConCon-Chi: Concept-Context Chimera Benchmark for Personalized Vision-Language Tasks - Authors : Andrea Rosasco, Stefano Berti, Giulia Pasquale, Damiano Malafronte, Shogo Sato (Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.), Hiroyuki Segawa (Sony Interactive Entertainment), Tetsugo Inada (Sony Interactive Entertainment), Lorenzo Natale - Date/Time : Friday, June 21 | 10:30 - 12:00 (Poster Session 5) - Location : Arch 4A-E

AIS: Vision, Graphics and AI for Streaming - Organizers : Marcos V. Conde (University of Würzburg & Sony PlayStation, VCG), Radu Timofte (University of Würzburg), Ioannis Katsavounidis (Meta), Ryan Lei (Meta), Daniel Motilla (Sony PlayStation, VCG), Christos Bampis (Netflix), Rakesh Ranjan (Meta Reality Labs) - Date/Time : Monday, June 17 | All Day - Location : Arch 3A - The Visual Computing Group (VCG) is happy to present the 1st AIS: Vision, Graphics and AI for Streaming Workshop at CVPR 2024

The 3rd International Workshop on Federated Learning for Computer Vision (FedVision-2024) - Keynote Speaker : Lingjuan Lyu (Sony AI) - Date/Time : Monday, June 17 | 10:25 - 11:10 - Location : Summit 325

Recruiting Information

We look forward to working with highly motivated individuals to fill the world with emotion and to pioneer future innovation through dreams and curiosity. If interested, please access to our career site and/or consider visiting the Sony Information Desk at Sony booth #1439 at the CVPR exhibition hall (Arch Hall 4AB) to know more about Sony Group. Career Site: https://www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/Careers/japan/

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Apple Jumps Into A.I. Fray With Apple Intelligence

The iPhone maker, which has been slow to embrace artificial intelligence, will weave it into the technology that runs on billions of devices.

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By Tripp Mickle

Tripp Mickle has written about Apple since 2016.

Nearly two years after OpenAI ignited a race to add generative artificial intelligence into products, Apple jumped into the competition on Monday, as it revealed plans to bring the technology to more than a billion iPhone users around the world.

During a two-hour presentation from its futuristic Silicon Valley campus, Apple said that it would be using generative A.I. to power what it is calling Apple Intelligence. The system will prioritize messages and notifications and will offer writing tools that are capable of proofreading and suggesting what users have written in emails, notes or text. It also will result in a major upgrade for Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant.

Apple’s plans to offer A.I. in its iPhones represents the next step in bringing artificial intelligence into the consumer mainstream. Apple, the marquee name of Silicon Valley, could do more than any other company to add credibility to a technology that has more than a few critics, who worry that it is mistake-prone and could add to the flood of misinformation already on the internet.

Apple’s new A.I. features could also help calm concerns that the iPhone maker had slipped behind its biggest rivals in the tech industry’s embrace of artificial intelligence. The value of other tech companies, like Microsoft and Nvidia, has ballooned because of their aggressive A.I. plans. Earlier this year, Microsoft dethroned Apple as the most valuable technology company in the world.

While introducing its new A.I., Apple emphasized how it planned to integrate the technology into its products with privacy in mind. The company said that the technology, which can answer questions, create images and write software code, would perform sensitive tasks. It showed how the system would be able to automatically determine if a rescheduled meeting time would complicate plans to attend a child’s theater performance.

It said that the computer processing would be done on an iPhone rather than in data centers, where personal information has a greater risk of being compromised. For complex requests that require more computing power, it has created a cloud network with Apple semiconductors that, it said, is more private because it’s not stored or accessible, even by Apple.

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