There's a Conference or Meeting
for Everyone
Kerry Geffert
Product Evangelist, Terra Dotta
Last March, this column considered the array of conferences available each year to international educators, and how one might strategically decide which ones to attend. There are plenty of conferences from which to choose depending on one’s needs, interests, budget and time. This month, we revisit the conference topic, but from a slightly different perspective.
As you consider the conferences that you or your office colleagues will attend this year, desired outcomes are certainly important. Regardless of the goal being training, knowledge building or networking, the extent to which any, or all, of these is offered will help determine the conference’s value to your needs. Conferences require not only an investment of your time and energy, but also require a financial investment from your institution. Whether the meeting is across town or across an ocean, there is the time spent out of the office, away from the routine activities. Then there is the time spent catching up upon your return. So choosing the best conferences is important.
In selecting a conference, content, location and timing are certainly of importance. Also important is the type of conference. Here we refer not to the subject matter, such as ISS, admissions or study abroad, but instead to a category, such as a local or a national conference. While there is variety within a category, there are some generalizations that can be made about each.
Local Conferences and Meetings
Local meetings generally encompass a metropolitan area such as Boston or Central Texas. They also may have a particular focus such as study abroad or international students, but could cross topics when one-person offices are involved. Local meetings are often less than a full workday in duration, perhaps meeting over lunch or in the afternoon. Because of this shorter period, informal networking and information sharing is often just as important as a topic; guest speakers are generally not typical. Local culture may also dictate the normal attendees. These may be primarily directors, but may also include front desk and line staff. The informal nature of these meetings often mean that they may occur as frequently as monthly.
Topical Conferences and Meetings
Rather than being geographic, there are smaller meetings and conferences that focus on a particular topic or subject area, often of a more academic nature. The meetings have a special niche, and therefore, tend to draw a more select audience. However, listservs provide the opportunity to seek both presenters and attendees from near and far. The main constraints on attending are likely costs due to travel and time from the office. For those interested in the topic, these meetings are excellent opportunities to share knowledge, learn new perspectives and network with peers. Hosts tend to be academic institutions or organizations.
State and Subregional Meetings
This category of meeting is generally one level below the NAFSA Regions. It is also an increasingly popular mini-conference for international educators due to shorter length and less cost. They generally last one to two days, and thus would require two or less nights hotel stays. Whereas most meetings are at the state level, larger states, such as California and Texas, often split the state in half. It should be noted that within international education, state meetings came about as grassroots events. While many state organizations use the “Association of International Educators” phrase as part of their name, these groups are generally self-governing. They are not governed by, nor financially tied to, NAFSA: Association of International Educators. Other professional organizations (e.g., AACRAO) do have state associations that are tied to the parent organization.
State meetings strive to program sessions covering the breadth of international education; however, my experience has been that these meetings are most important to those working with international students and scholars, as well as those evaluating credentials. The reasons may be due to the more regulatory and codified natures of these two work groups where shared information is particularly useful to smaller institutions and newer staff members. However, as study abroad faces more regulatory procedures, both at home and abroad, state meetings are becoming a more vital support network.
Another key aspect of these meetings is the personal networking that occurs. For those new to a position or a state, state meetings provide the opportunity to meet new colleagues who share the same passion and trials. Finally, for those looking for experience in presenting a session or workshop, the state meetings provide a welcoming atmosphere to hone one’s skills. Thus, like larger meetings, the state meeting can draw two somewhat separate groups of professionals. More experienced international educators may attend to network and gather with colleagues. Their attendance is also critical to the transfer of knowledge; they are needed to lead sessions and mentor newer professionals, i.e., the second group. For these individuals, these meetings serve as training grounds, as ways to gain experience at presenting, and as opportunities to begin their own networking.
Regional Conferences
Within American international education, the Regional Conference tends to refer to a meeting organized by one or more of the 11 NAFSA regions. Other professional organizations may be subdivided into regions, too, based upon their respective histories and memberships. Regional conferences serve important purposes for the larger organizations in that they help disseminate knowledge and training gained at the “national” conferences, as well as serving as conduits for information to flow from the general membership to the governance.
Regional conferences tend to be longer than state meetings, particularly within NAFSA. And NAFSA regionals are always in the fall, whereas state meetings usually occur in the spring. In general, regional conferences often occur in the season opposite the “national” conference of the parent organization. Because the regions are ultimately governed by the parent organization, regionals typically follow structures and procedures similar to those of the “national” conference.
The content of a regional conference reflects the whole range of topics pertinent to international educators, and will strive to meet the various experience levels of attendees. Unless a session topic is reflective of one institution only, session presenters are expected to represent more than one institution in order to provide varied perspectives. To generalize very broadly, regional conferences within international education tend to focus on topics more important to the practitioner.
Special events and speakers become more common at the regional level. Guest speakers are common, particularly for a plenary or plenary luncheon. Government representatives are also invited to present the latest information on topics such as immigration and study abroad visas. Vendors have greater prominence in designated exhibit areas, and look to have one-on-one conversations with clients and potential clients. Special events and some meals are often included in the registration fee so as to enable attendees’ participation.
Regional conferences are excellent training grounds. Similar to the state meetings, they provide a less threatening environment for the newer presenter. The conferences are smaller than the national conferences, providing more opportunities for junior staff to network and develop themselves professionally. But regionals also present a challenge for those putting together the conference. Because the regional is a good training ground, senior staff often forego the regional conference in order to send their junior staff. This reduces the number of more senior professionals to present at sessions, and generally mentor and network with those with less experience. This challenge will likely continue to grow as budgets are constrained and senior staff find the need to attend more of the national and international meetings.
National and International Conferences
One could argue that there is no such thing as a national conference within international education, but we all know what we mean. These are the large conferences that draw larger crowds, often from various parts of the world. A few are more focused on an aspect of international education, such as the Forum and CIEE Conferences for education abroad, the CCID Conference for two-year institutions, the AIEA Conference for senior administrators and CIOs, or the AIRC Conference for recruiters and agents. Others encompass all of student mobility, though perhaps from a national or regional perspective. Think NAFSA, EAIE, CBIE, FAUBAI, AMPEI, BUTEX, IEASA, AIEC, APAIE and JAFSA.
The smaller of these major conferences may be around 1,000 attendees, and relatively easy to manage for the neophyte. When the attendee list reaches the thousands, with NAFSA perhaps the largest at 11,000+, these conferences can be intimidating and overwhelming to the first-time conference goer. Many of these meetings now program an orientation for the newcomers to help them navigate the conference, meet other newcomers and the leadership, and learn about the organization.
Most of these conferences are three to five days in length, but additional meetings and workshops can extend one’s stay. Cost, therefore, can be an issue, limiting the number of representatives who can attend from an institution. Those who do attend often have distinct purposes for their attendance. Their intentions may range from primarily session going to solely meeting with international partners and prospective partners. Exhibit halls play an important role at these conferences, with exhibits ranging from a table and two chairs to elaborate booths that take hours to assemble.
Session content is generally considered to be some of the best in the field with presenters representing a breadth of topics, institutions and nationalities. Competition to have a session proposal accepted can be quite fierce. As an attendee, choosing among the array of sessions in any given block may be one of the more difficult choices, particularly if one has responsibility for both inbound and outbound students. Well-known plenary speakers draw attendees to conferences while providing unique perspectives to challenge and/or encourage listeners. Then in the evening, networking and socializing take over.
The decision to attend a national or international conference is not made lightly. Cost and time away from the office, of course, are important. One must be intentional in one’s attendance; sessions and meetings are often planned in advance of arrival in the host city. Days can be long and evenings busy. However, one has the opportunity to learn and hear from some of the top people in the profession. Some of these conferences are intended for those more senior or experienced, but the larger conferences tend to be all-encompassing offering something for those just entering the profession to those who have many years of experience.
Conclusion
Within international education, there is a conference or meeting for everyone, from the newest staff member to the senior leadership. But selecting the most appropriate one requires forethought and review of anticipated outcomes. Different categories of conferences offer different opportunities for learning, for networking and for developing one’s professional skills. Everyone may want to go to the biggest meetings, but sometimes the smaller ones will offer better opportunities.