Getting the Most out of Conferences

1. Getting the Most out of Conferences Presentation for Clinical Librarians Meeting 9th March 2018

2. I Applied for and received Bursary from HCLU to attend 2017 Clinical Librarian's Conference Over 80 delegates coming from across the globe, including locations such as: Ireland, Wales, Sweden, Norway, Texas, South Carolina, Washington DC, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Iran and even Dudley! Selection of workshops, panels, talks and poster presentations.Write up of Conference by Ann Webb and others in LIHNNK-UP 56

3. What did I expect to get out of attending? • Meet other clinical librarians • Find out more about the role of the Clinical Librarian (who they are • and what do they do – how the role differs from organisation to organisation) • Learn more about searching for systematic reviews • Gain ideas and inspiration

4. Conferences: How to Get the most out of attending Thursday 25th January 2018 Trainer: Lisa Jenkins • I saw Lisa Jenkin’s course advertised and decided to go along. • Although I was happy with what I had got from the Clinical Librarian conference I wondered if there were any tricks I had missed. • The following slides will briefly go over the topics that Lisa’s training covered and talk a bit more about the parts that I found particularly helpful.

5. Writing and submitting abstracts • Tips on when to submit as a presentation and when to submit as a poster (eg; if a project is still ongoing/results not in yet - then submit as a poster. Following year, when complete can submit as a presentation) • Advice on getting your abstract selected. • - Check the submission guidelines!!! Make sure it is relevant to the conference. Does the conference have a theme? • - Look at previous abstracts from previous years (archives often available online) • Does it have something new to say? Or a different angle/approach to a problem/topic? Is there a tangible result or effect to report? • Make sure abstract describes • - What the project/problem is and how your project addressed it • - What it is that you are doing differently • - What benefits/results were shown or lessons were learn • Consider your writing style - is it boring to read? • Try to think of an eye catching title • -Advice on designing a poster • -Visual (graphs, images) • -Amount of text relative to visual elements • -Legible (text size, layout, fonts) • -Advantages/disadvantages of laminating • -Again, check submission guidelines (Size of posted, orientation of poster)

6. Some basics on presenting… This wasn't a presentation course, lots other training available on presentation skills but discussed some issues particularly related to presenting at conferences. -Check the room in advance, is it appropriate size/layout for your presentation. -Do you need to rearrange - move furniture or ask for different room. -When asked about facilities that you need consider seating/table arrangement that you will require as well as IT. What is your maximum audience size? (depends on type of presentation you are planning - interactivity etc) -Double check and reconfirm your time slot, location and length of time allocated -Check IT is working and that you can use it -Have a plan B (and C and D if it makes you feel better) What will you do if internet isn't working, if your ppt display won't work etc? -Know your audience - if international consider terminology and cultural differences -Think about what you want people to take away from your presentation - physically (handouts) and verbally -Don't go over time! Make sure you get the key message out early in case you do run over and don't get to finish -Present with a partner if you are nervous -Practice! Prepare for questions you might be asked

7. Networking • What is Networking? • Who to talk to • Having a plan • Pacing yourself • Following up Most of the people at the training (myself included) seemed to have a particular horror at the idea of 'Networking' -We discussed what we thought networking actually was: Building a network Sharing ideas Meeting new people (who might be useful) Catching up with people you haven't seen for a while I found the advice to stop thinking of it as 'Networking' but to think of it as building relations and having useful conversations. You don't have to stick to work conversations. It is about building trust, not impressing people - conversations. -Have a focus/plan for your networking. What are you planning to get out of it? -Pace yourself, don't have to talk to everyone -Plan ahead, look at delegate list and consider who you might want to talk to -Can you arrange to meet up with them ahead of time? Email in advance and arrange to meet during a break -Once you have talked to someone, follow it up. Send an email after the conference

8. Conversation Starters and Exit Strategies -Conversation starters and exit strategies. -Lisa gave us some really useful advice on handouts on dealing with those awkward moments - trying to start up a conversation and trying to escape from one! -Conversation Starters included: The weather (we're British after all, and nothing starts a conversation like discussing the weather) Have you been to this conference before? The programme looks really interesting Did you have far to come? Are you speaking/presenting? - Exit strategies (something I'm generally terrible at) -I've enjoyed our conversation, I'll email you those links when I'm back in the office. -I'm going to get something to eat/drink -I'd love to stay in touch, can I give you my business card? -Do excuse me, I've promised to ring my (insert person here)before they go out/go to bed etc. We also spent some time preparing to introduce ourselves - coming up with professional and personal facts about ourselves and then turning them into a short introduction or 'elevator pitch', which we practiced amongst ourselves

9. Time to reflect… This was another topic that I found really useful and practical. It gave me 'permission' to take some down time in a conference in order to reflect on what I had learned and plan for the next day. Don't have to be 'on' all the time - pace yourself and prioritise to make sure you don't miss the talks/workshops you really want to see. -We were provided with various reflection tools that we could use during the day or at the end of the day. -Tried some of them out at the end of the session to reflect on what we had learned and how plan how we might use it.

10. After Hours… • Find out if anything is planned • Organise your own • Further opportunity to Network… • … Or more time to reflect • Extroverts v Introverts

11. Bursaries and Funding Where to find them How to apply • -Website addresses for different organisations to apply for funding to attend conferences • -Advice on applying for funding, including – • Don’t rush, check the deadline and give yourself plenty of time to think about what you are going to say in your application • Read the criteria and make sure you explain how you meet it • If you don’t meet the criteria, apply anyway – you don’t know how many applications that organisation will receive and the worst that can happen is that they say no. • Explain how you will make use of what you learn from attending the conference

12. Sharing with Colleagues • Cascading to work colleagues • Write up for newsletter / blog • Social Media • Sharing with colleagues – maximising what you have learnt or experienced (may well be a condition of your bursary) • Discussed different methods of sharing / cascading what you learn at conferences – both at the event and after • After • - Meetings with colleguaes • - Presentations • - Writing (articles/blogs) • During • - Tweeting • - Facebook • - Vlogging