Don't Judge a Conference by its Size

I’ve been to a lot of conferences in my academic career; I’ve learned a lot of professional skills, listened to inspiring speakers, and taken valuable workshops. But as I am sure many of you would agree, one of the most valuable parts about some of these conferences has been creating connections with colleagues who share similar passions. 

I just returned from one of my favorite conferences – The Vermont Women in Higher Education Conference – and it has reminded me once again that conferences are not just about the number of workshops or the number of people in attendance. No, for me, the best measure of whether a conference is valuable is the number of real connections I’ve made.

What do I mean by a “real” connection?  I mean the type of connection in which: it is difficult to stop a conversation because you have so much in common; you realize that you have a ton of potential to learn from each other; you finally meet someone who shares a really important part of your experience; you laugh so much you cry; or you realize you may have found a mentor. I mean the type where you run into someone year after year and look forward to connecting again.

How often do you find these types of connections at the conferences you attend?

If this isn’t happening for you, let me propose that you might be attending the wrong conferences or at least missing out on conferences that you don’t realize you will love.

The Vermont Women in Higher Education Conference is not huge. It is not highly-funded and doesn’t offer a myriad of exhibitor tables or thousands of workshops. In fact, there are typically only about 100 attendees. But over the last few years the quality of this conference has skyrocketed, not just because we have improved the speakers and sessions, though that is part of it (and yes, I am on the board so I am biased). For me, the improvement has come from the increased diversity of attendees, workshops that have encouraged engagement and collaborative learning instead of being “talked at,” and more and more emphasis on how to integrate and support networking opportunities. 

For me, it has also improved because I have attended year after year and started to see familiar faces and catch up on familiar stories. Even with only 100 people in the room, I have been leaving this conference with a list of more than 20 names of people with whom I want to follow up. That’s a pretty good ratio.

The fact that the focus of this conference is women’s professional development of course enhances this effect.  The room is full of women who care about lifting each other up – not outcompeting each other or delivering the session that attracts the most attendees. When is the last time you attended a session that included the opportunity to share failures with each other or explore the potential causes of burnout? These sessions run right alongside important skill-building and leadership sessions. No one is there just to tout their own program or share their own specialized research.

This isn’t the only conference that has offered this type of return on investment for me, but it is one of the most vivid examples because this conference cost me less than $200, was only an hour-and-a-half drive, and required only one night in a hotel. With the costs of conferences skyrocketing these days, this value stands out among all of the opportunities from which I might be able to choose.

So the next time you look at a conference, ask yourself, what am I looking for? 

There is a time and place for the huge research conference with big name sponsors and presenters. But never underestimate the value of an intimate gathering of thoughtful professionals who share a common commitment. It may be just the rejuvenation you need to return to your workplace with hope and optimism.

Now, time to start writing those thank you notes and setting up those coffee dates; I have a lot of outstanding women to follow up with.