Conferences two days in a row
So, how was it?
(Photo by Dillon Shook on Unsplash)
Today is a Saturday in December: it was a really cold but sunny day. I am in Greece currently, but today I had to be in Munich, Germany for the 29th LIPP Symposium in Linguistics, and yesterday in Białystok, Poland for the 6th Białystok-Kyiv Conference on Theoretical and Applied Linguistics. I didn’t go to either. I didn’t have to go!
Both conferences were organised in a hybrid manner, and I could join from the comfort of a little office my parents have helped me to build at the back of their apartment.
I know it is really challenging for conference organisers to plan hybrid conferences - you have to make sure that the people in the actual conference room can hear the online presentations, and the people in the online rooms can hear the people in the conference center presenting; open up breakout rooms for the coffee breaks, invest in technology, and so much more.
My experience with both was spectacular, I loved presenting and I got some good questions and feedback. I got so many ideas afterwards, thinking about what I had been asked - and realised that I am on a good track with my research and need to keep working hard : )
I truly appreciate all the efforts they make and I am sure many others do too - people might not be able to travel to conferences because:
of a lack of funding or financial issues; it can cost a lot to go to a conference, from conference fees, accommodation, meals.
some participants have children and cannot or do not want to leave them with other people for various reasons, or are caregivers to elderly/disabled people and cannot even consider travelling.
some participants do not travel due to health reasons or risks to their health - Covid is still around and I have heard about conferences that ended up being superspreaders, even this past summer.
A past newsletter is all about conferences and the PhD (and not only), so if you have missed it and would like to read it, click here.