Attending conferences is a crucial part of a researcher’s academic career. You not only get to learn about new trends and keep abreast of the current developments in your research field, but also forge new connections that will boost your professional life. So, attending conferences—whether to be just a part of the audience or to present your research—is necessary. However, there are ways to enrich the experience!

We give you 13 tips on how to do this, divided into three areas—before, during, and after a conference.

Before the conference

1. Do your research

Go through the conference website. Read about the agenda, topics to be discussed, and the speakers of the sessions. You can also stay updated through social media where updates on the said conference would be constantly posted. In fact, by checking out the social media coverage, you’d be able to get a fair idea of who is attending the conference as well. You could reach out to peers beforehand and maybe plan to meet them. These meetings can be wholesome experiences, and might help you re-connect with old colleagues, or even connect with new ones. They may be the start of a new collaboration, even.