Most people attend conferences.
Very few actually get something concrete out of them.
The difference is not luck.
It’s strategy.
1. Go in with a clear objective
Before the conference, decide: What do I want from this?
Not “learn something new” — that’s too vague.
Better goals:
• get feedback on my research
• meet potential PhD supervisors
• find collaborators
• understand how others publish in this field
If you don’t define the goal, you won’t recognize the opportunity.
2. Prepare how you introduce yourself
You don’t need a perfect pitch. But you should be able to say:
• who you are
• what you work on
• what you’re interested in
Example:
“I work on infectious disease modeling, mainly focused on surveillance data. I’m currently interested in how models are used in real-world policy decisions.”
Simple. Clear. Memorable.
3. Be intentional about who you talk to
Don’t rely on random encounters. Look at the program in advance.
Identify:
• speakers in your field
• people whose papers you’ve read
• researchers working on similar topics
Then do the simplest thing most people avoid: Talk to them.
4. Ask better questions
Instead of: “Nice presentation.”
Try:
• “What would you do differently if you repeated this study?”
• “How did you get access to this data?”
• “What would be the next step for this research?”
Good questions create real conversations.
5. Use your presentation as a tool (not a performance)
If you’re presenting: Don’t focus only on delivering it.
Use it to:
• attract the right people
• start conversations
• get feedback
• show how you think
6. Follow up within 48 hours
After the conference:
• connect on LinkedIn
• send a short message
• reference your conversation
Example:
“Hi, it was great talking about modeling approaches at [conference]. I really found your perspective on X interesting.”
That’s enough.
7. Turn conversations into something concrete
That could be:
• a call
• sharing a paper
• a collaboration idea
• feedback on your work
The value of a conference is not measured by how many sessions you attend — but by what is still happening 2–3 weeks after it ends.
