How to organise a conference

Immersed in your own chemistry, whether that’s a PhD or a new industrial project, it’s easy to get tunnel vision. Going to a conference is therefore a valuable opportunity to take a step back, explore your field and network with other researchers. These benefits are magnified when you take on the role of organising, says Marianela Gimenez-Asis, a scientist at the contract research organisation Pharmaron and member of the Society of Chemical Industry’s (SCI) conference committee. ‘For people like me that have been hired straight out of a master’s, it’s not just exposure to chemistry. It’s another way of getting skills I otherwise wouldn’t have had a chance to develop,’ she says.

With many opportunities to get involved via both academia and industry, the experts share their tips to help you plan a successful event.

Assign individual responsibilities

Organising conferences is a team effort and ensuring every member of that team has a clearly defined role from the outset is vital, says Stuart Astle, a scientist at German biotechnology company AMSilk and former student organiser of the 2020 Oxford Summer Synthesis Conference. ‘This ensures not only that tasks are done, but also quite importantly, that two people aren’t trying to do the same job independently of each other and creating confusion with other parties, be that speakers or sponsors,’ he explains. Communicating progress, problems and key details creates a reference point for everyone and aids coordination between different sub-teams with overlapping remits, so nothing is missed.

Source your equipment early

‘You really don’t appreciate how many different pieces of equipment you’re going to need – whether it’s microphones and projectors, printing of programmes, poster boards or tables for registration and catering,’ says Astle. Having this basic infrastructure in place is a vital, if often overlooked, element of the organisational process. Establishing both suppliers and costs for these fundamentals at an early stage sets the key constraints for the budget.

The venue itself may be able to provide some resources and technical support so involving staff in these logistical discussions can really streamline the process. Astle recommends mentally running through the event to create an initial list of furniture and equipment as a way to open discussions with the venue team.

Know your audience

Understanding who your event is for and what you want them to take from it is a crucial consideration when inviting speakers or abstract submissions, says Gimenez-Asis. For smaller events, you will likely be catering to a subset of the chemical community – be that a specific topic area or a particular career stage – so the conference structure should address the needs of that group. ‘For example, do you need the talks to have really low assumed knowledge and be accessible to everyone, or are you happy accepting talks at any level as long as they fit within a topic?’ asks Gimenez-Asis. ‘It changes your approach to organising the speakers and whether you choose to reach out to people and request a talk tailored to your audience’s needs, or you allow abstract submissions within certain generalised guidelines.’ Whichever approach you choose, clearly communicate the topic area and intended level to all potential speakers as early as possible.

Look after your exhibitors

Conferences are not just about sharing research: they’re also a space for companies to advertise new products and services. Commercial exhibitors can be an excellent source of additional income to cover running costs but it is therefore vital to ensure that the event meets their needs and proves to be a worthwhile investment. ‘They’ve spent time and money to be there in person so you want to have an engaged audience that may buy their products or with whom they can build a relationship,’ says Gimenez-Asis.

Invite exhibitors who will have a relevant connection to your target audience and ensure that the venue has space for commercial stands in the refreshment area, she advises. Planning frequent breaks also allows delegates time to mingle, providing an opportunity for exhibitors to advertise their wares and network with attendees.

Be prepared to adapt

Complex events rarely go perfectly to plan but even major disruptions needn’t derail a well-organised conference. For Astle, the Covid-19 pandemic drastically altered the preparation for the Oxford Summer Synthesis Conference, scheduled for June 2020. With lockdowns and social distancing in place, all arrangements for the 250-person live event were cancelled. Despite having just three months’ notice, the committee successfully reorganised the event online, replacing the poster session with four-minute flash talks and reaching over 900 people with their day-long programme. ‘My big takeaway from that was: just because there’s been a major change, which means it can’t be what you initially envisioned – whether that’s because of the speakers or the format – does not mean that other visions or format formulations of it aren’t also going to be successful or valid as well,’ Astle reflects.