This article is taken from my book on how to get the most out of education conferences. Just 99p or equivalent for the Kindle version.
Conference hall lecture, by Terry Freedman
It’s often difficult to get time out of school to attend a conference, but I think you should try and get to at least one a year. Some people dismiss conferences as glorified trade shows, talking shops or junkets, the main reason for whose existence is to sell you stuff. Whilst the hard sell may be in evidence at some events, or by some exhibitors, I don’t see that as a reason not to go. After all, you may see something you didn’t know existed, or find out more about something you thought you already knew about. And in any case, you are not obliged to actually buy anything, or even to listen to someone trying to sell you something (just smile and walk away).
But there are other aspects of education conferences too of course.
There are at least 21 good reasons to attend, these being to:
Check out the hype
You know how every so often a big new thing comes along that's going to transform education? Before you spend a lot of time, effort or money on it, if a conference includes talks about it or demonstrations, you could check it out there.
Hear some big name speakers for free
A conference may provide the opportunity to see and hear an authority in your field speak or take part in a panel discussion. This benefit is especially valuable if the person resides in another country, because the chances of getting to see them would be even slimmer otherwise.
See what’s new or coming soon
Conferences, especially education technology ones, often feature prototypes of new products, or proofs of concept. It gives you an advantage because it may be several years before they become mainstream.
Not all of the things on display find themselves being produced, so you have to be careful of the hardware equivalent of “vapourware”, but it can still give a pretty good indication of where things are heading.
Inform your financial planning
Had you seen 3D printers some years ago you would have been able to see at firsthand what they could do, attended a talk or two about how they were starting to be used by some teachers, and obtained the details of some companies in that field. That knowledge would have enabled you to draw up a capital spending plan/proposal that included the use of 3D printing, to present to your senior leadership team.
Inform your strategic planning
This is slightly different to the preceding point. I am referring here to outlining trends in technology and pedagogy. Had you seen 3D printers a few years ago, you may not have been in a position to argue the case for spending money on them, but you would have been able to describe the potential benefits of this sort of technology. Now, a few years later, when the prices have come down to the extent that a 3D printer is an affordable item rather than a luxury one, you would be in a good position to ask for money to buy one, having already sown the seeds from an educational benefits point of view.
Inform your senior leadership team of coming trends
Taking the example of 3D printing once again, had you seen the first few prototypes a few years ago – bulky and expensive, but with enormous potential – you would have been able to say to your line manager that 3D is coming.
(By the way, I'm using 3D printing as an example, but the principle applies much more generally.)
They may not have been able to do anything on a practical level, but it will help you to...
Establish yourself as the go-to person
Having a grasp of current and future trends, being able to advise your senior leadership team of what they ought to be planning for and what they ought not to invest in over the long term, being up to speed with current thinking and research in your field – all this helps to establish you as the go-to person in your area.
Even if you're not the team leader, and even if – especially if – you are a teacher with no additional responsibilities, establishing yourself as the go-to person is a wise thing to do, because it makes people rely on you for particular kinds of information.
This works even if you become an expert in one particular area (3D printing, for example) rather than the whole field.
Show, don't tell
Seeing a product in action, even if only for a few minutes, is often more useful than only reading about it in the product catalogue – especially if it’s a brand new item.
Attend product launches
Conferences tend to be the occasions on which companies launch new products, and it’s always nice to see them unveiled, perhaps with a drink and a snack.
See the small players
Sometimes at conference exhibitions smaller companies launch products that you may otherwise not hear about. In my experience, such products are highly focused and usually do what they are supposed to do very well.
Attend specialised talks
Some companies run sessions on their stands, outside the official programme of seminars. It’s worth looking up the exhibitors you wish to visit (if you know in advance), to see if they are doing something like that.
Attend training sessions, eg on how use a particular aspect of a program
Check to see if companies are running training sessions on how to use their products. You may need to visit their stand because sometimes at conferences exhibitors run training sessions, perhaps on their stands, that are not listed as part of the mainstream conference. They are usually demonstrations rather than hands-on learning opportunities, but can nevertheless be very valuable.
Attend a seminar, eg on personalised learning, given by experts in their fields
If there is a paid-for conference and a free exhibition, there's a chance that there may be a separate, and free, seminar programme, or training sessions (see preceding point).
Attend a parallel conference
At some conferences there are "Summits" or "Strands" – specialised conferences or themes. If you can dip in and out of sessions without booking for each "conference" separately, then you can "mix and match" rather than committing yourself to one particular theme.
Arrange one-on-one meetings with (potential) suppliers
Some of the larger suppliers have rooms available where you can arrange to meet to discuss your requirements. If not, there is probably a café area where people can meet.
Have opportunities for networking
It never does any harm to make contact with like-minded people.
Pick up the latest Government or other official publications
It’s useful to be able to see what’s available, in case you missed it, but you may want to make a note of where you can download it from rather than carrying loads of stuff home. Some exhibitors may have publications containing details of particular aspects of government policy. Maybe the department for education (or the equivalent in your country) has a stand itself.
Pick up new ideas
I find that you have to really scrutinise conference programmes. Don’t just look at the list of sessions, but the exhibitor list as well. It's important to look through the whole exhibitor list because you might spot an interesting-looking company you haven’t come across before.
Get the gossip
This is similar to the preceding point, but not quite the same. If you get chatting to people, there's a good chance that you will learn about some new trend, development or product that you haven't come across yet – because it hasn't been picked up by the standard media outlets.
Attend events
If there are any special events, ie outside the conference programme itself, consider going along. For example, there may be a reception the evening before the conference, or a post-conference meal. These can provide great networking opportunities.
Become (re-)energised and stimulated from the “buzz”
Although conferences tend to be very physically tiring they can be good for giving one’s enthusiasm a big boost.
Click the cover to see this on Amazon.