How to Ace Your First Conference Presentation
As a first-time conference speaker at TLIC 2023, it is needless to say that it took me a lot of preparation before actually standing in front of the audience. While speakers at academic conferences are most commonly workplace professionals, doctoral candidates, or professors, sometimes master’s degree students will be presenters as well, as I was.
Looking back at my experience at The Learning Ideas Conference, it was both exciting and fruitful. Admittedly, as a master’s student, it was quite intimidating to me a few days before the presentation because I was worried about the professional audiences “questioning” the maturity of my research as well as my “professionalism” in my field, especially during the Q&A session.
It turned out, however, everything went very smoothly; the conference volunteers helped with any tech issues throughout the presentations, and the audiences were attentive to the speakers’ research findings, even the findings might not be particularly relevant to their specific field of expertise. Most importantly, upon careful preparation, my speech went well, and I never looked at the verbatim script I prepared because I was confident in talking about my research.
On that note, I summarized a few tips for future first-time presenters at an academic conference based on my experience:
Before the Conference
Prepare your presentation slides in advance; allow at least 2 weeks to complete and edit your presentation slides. Don’t leave your slides to the last minute.
Some specific things to keep in mind regarding your slides:
Readability - Use concise language but include the most key information you’d like to cover during your talk. Do not type everything! Instead, use phrases or short sentences that are concise and readable.
Aesthetics - Use a template that is suitable for a conference; when necessary, also include graphics and different fonts and colors to differentiate the information according to its importance.
Appropriate citation - Follow citation styles that are appropriate in your field, be it Chicago, APA, or IEEE, etc.
Rehearse Your Speech Until You’re Ready
Make it easy to understand - It’s important that you are 100% familiar with what you are talking about on your big day. Certainly, you know about your research, but how would you explain it to other people? Assume your audience might not know the specific terminology from your study, so be prepared to use “layman’s” language to explain them off-script.
It is always helpful to type/write up a script before your talk, even if it’s just a summary of bullet points. While it’s not ideal to actually read from your script during a presentation, having such a “backup” would calm you down when you’re worried that you might forget something during your talk.
The Day Before the Conference
Choose appropriate attire - Professional events like a conference usually have expected dress codes even if they don’t have formal rules about attire. Business casual would usually be the best choice. Don’t dress up like you are going to a cocktail party, or like you are going hiking. Be careful with the color choice too. It’s wise to wear low-saturated colors like dark grey, dark blue, etc. Even with these “rules,” choose the clothes that you feel comfortable and the most suitable to your style!
Plan your trip ahead - If the event happens in a different city, purchase your bus/train/plane ticket ahead of time. If the event is in the city you live in, plan your trip to the conference center anyway. Check Google Maps to be sure you know when you should take the subway or a taxi. Avoid heading there during peak hours if you can; if this is unavoidable, set aside sufficient time to travel so you won’t be stressed out on your way!
Sleep well - Sufficient sleep will enhance your performance, even when you feel nervous the night before your big talk. Avoid exhausting your energy by spending too much time preparing, and having an energetic and calm appearance is important to leave your first impression for your fellow academians.
On Your “Big Day”
Arrive on time: If you can’t attend the rest of the conference day, arrive at least 30 minutes before your talk’s session, so that you can check in, use the bathroom, and grab some snacks or drinks.
Pay attention to non-verbal language during your talk: Body language, such as eye contact, postures, and hand gestures is a key way to convey your confidence and how other people form impression of you. Practice this along with memorizing your script ahead of time, so that you don’t feel weird by adding them in the last minute and try to be aware of your body language during your talk.
Respect other people’s talks in your session: It’s difficult to listen to most other talks as a first-time presenter when you’re thinking about your own talk coming up, but it’s important you show respect to the other speakers’ talks by listening attentively. You never know if you’re going to gain new insights into your field of study.
After the Conference
Post-conference networking: If there’ss a chance to network with other professionals, don’t miss it! While networking events at a conference can happen also before and during the conference, usually people have more time connecting after the event. So, if there’s a networking lunch or dinner, it’s a great opportunity for you! Even if it’s just a coffee chat or elevator pitch, your new connection might help you somewhere in the future - you just never know!
If you’re a student, think about your next conference and apply for a stipend: Conferences can be costly, especially if they require a trip to another city or country. Some schools offer stipends or scholarships for events of this kind, usually for doctoral students. Do not miss the opportunity to apply!
Hopefully, these tips will build some confidence for first-time conference speakers who are master’s or doctoral students. While most of these may apply, it’s important to comply to the requirements of specific conferences. I am sure that your first talk is going to be a great start for your pursuit to academia!
