How can you prepare for an interdisciplinary conference?

1 Know your audience

Before you submit your proposal or prepare your presentation, do some research on the conference theme, the organizers, and the expected attendees. What are their backgrounds, interests, and goals? How familiar are they with your topic and terminology? How can you relate your work to theirs and address their questions or concerns? Knowing your audience will help you tailor your content, style, and delivery to suit their needs and expectations.

2 Choose your format

Interdisciplinary conferences may offer different formats for presenting your work, such as panels, posters, workshops, or roundtables. Each format has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on your objectives, preferences, and resources. For example, panels allow you to share your findings in more detail, but also require more preparation and coordination with other speakers. Posters enable you to interact with your audience more directly, but also demand more visual appeal and clarity. Workshops and roundtables invite more participation and feedback, but also pose more challenges in terms of facilitation and time management. Choose the format that best suits your purpose and audience, and follow the guidelines and best practices for that format.

3 Practice your presentation

Once you have decided on your format and content, practice your presentation several times before the conference. This will help you improve your confidence, fluency, and timing, as well as identify and fix any potential issues or errors. You can practice alone, with a colleague, or with a mentor, and ask for constructive feedback on your strengths and areas for improvement. You can also record yourself and watch your performance, paying attention to your voice, body language, and use of visual aids. Practice your presentation until you feel comfortable and ready to deliver it.

4 Prepare for questions

One of the most important and challenging aspects of presenting at an interdisciplinary conference is answering questions from the audience. Questions can be friendly, curious, critical, or even hostile, depending on the audience's background, attitude, and agenda. To prepare for questions, anticipate the most likely or common ones, and rehearse your responses in advance. You can also prepare some backup slides or notes to support your answers, if needed. During the question-and-answer session, listen carefully to the questions, acknowledge different viewpoints, and respond politely and confidently. If you don't know the answer, admit it honestly and offer to follow up later.

5 Network with others

Interdisciplinary conferences are not only about presenting your work, but also about connecting with other researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders from different fields and sectors. Networking with others can help you gain new insights, ideas, and opportunities, as well as build your reputation and credibility. To network effectively, plan ahead and identify the people you want to meet and talk to, and prepare your elevator pitch and business cards. During the conference, be proactive and approachable, join the social events and activities, and follow up with the contacts you made.

6 Learn from others

Finally, don't forget to learn from others at the interdisciplinary conference. Attend as many sessions as you can, especially those that are relevant or interesting to your work. Take notes, ask questions, and participate in the discussions. Be open-minded and curious, and appreciate the diversity and richness of perspectives and approaches. Learn from the successes and challenges of others, and reflect on how you can apply or adapt their insights and lessons to your own work.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?