4 tips to get the most out of international higher education conferences

Are you planning on attending an international higher education conference for the first time? Asia Exchange will be attending the upcoming APAIE | Asia-Pacific Association for International Education conference and with that in mind, we want to provide some tips on how to get the best out of the big international education conferences for first-time attendees.

With thousands of attendees and dozens of exhibitors, conferences hosted by EAIE: European Association for International Education , NAFSA: Association of International Educators and APAIE can seem quite daunting at first glance. These international higher education conferences are a valuable platform to network, exchange new ideas and learn from new and existing contacts from all around the world, without the need to travel to multiple different countries.

1.??????By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail

Make yourself a detailed plan. Do you know who is attending? Who do you want to meet and why? What are your targets? What is your budget? Prospect for relevant attendees through LinkedIn or the various platforms provide for the different conferences.

If your target is to find new partnerships make that one of your focus points and book meetings with the right people. Make a budget estimate in case you are dealing with vendors or looking at paid services. Plan your meetings well in advance and make yourself a clear schedule. Make sure you thoroughly research who you are meeting beforehand. Set a time and place for the meetings and connect on Linkedin so that you can put a face to the name and keep in touch in case of scheduling conflicts.

If your targets include learning and gaining new insights you can do so by meeting as many people from multiple different countries, but also by attending the many interesting sessions! Make sure to look at who is exhibiting and leave room in your schedule to visit the different booths. After all, well planned is half done.

2.??????Gain visibility by hosting a session!

These conferences are a great way to make your voice heard on the international stage. Hosting a session needs some careful planning well in advance. The call for session proposals often happens around 9 months in advance. The first step in the planning phase is to come up with a topic that fits the theme of the upcoming conference and brings added value to potential listeners. In order to best get your message across you will need to think of the session format and potential speakers. These conferences often include panel discussions, workshops and poster sessions.

?Think of the following:

• Who is your target audience?
• Who do you know that is an expert in the topic you are proposing?
• What type of session works best to maximize the learning outcomes for your target audience?

3.??????Networking events

Though there is plenty to do during conference hours, the best chances for some informal networking happen outside of the conference venue. Ask about potential events hosted by institutions, attending country representatives or the conference organizers. Meeting people is sometimes easier with a drink in your hand.

4.??????Follow-up

So, you’ve read this far and you’re ready for your first international higher education conference. What you do before and during the conference is important but the last, and probably most important thing to remember is to follow-up after the event! Connect over social media, follow up by email, invite new connections to follow your organization and kick off your new collaborations or projects.

We hope these tips help you have a successful conference and hope to see you there!