Stop Wasting Your Conference Time

Academic networking at conferences has a reputation problem. Most researchers treat it as an awkward social obligation — hovering near the coffee urn, waiting for someone to make eye contact, and then spending twenty minutes talking to someone whose work has nothing to do with theirs. However, done well, conference networking is probably the single highest-return activity in your professional life. A recent paper by Deguise et al., "Using speed networking to connect medical students with research supervisors," published in the *Canadian Medical Education Journal* in 2026, makes a quietly radical point: structured, time-limited interactions consistently outperform unstructured mingling for building research relationships. That finding should make every academic rethink how they spend their time at the next big event.

Conference networking strategy: stop leaving it to chance

Here’s the honest truth. Most academics arrive at a conference with no plan, attend whatever sessions look interesting, and hope that meaningful connections will somehow materialise. They rarely do. Therefore, treat networking as something you actually schedule, not something that happens to you.

Before you travel, spend thirty minutes identifying five specific people you want to speak with. Not vaguely — specifically. Read one of their recent papers. Find one question you genuinely want to ask them about their methodology or their findings. This means that when you do find yourself beside them at the drinks reception, you have something real to say rather than defaulting to "so, what do you work on?" which is the conversational equivalent of a wet handshake.

Also, check whether the conference has a structured networking session or mentoring lunch. These are wildly underused. In addition, many large disciplinary conferences now run speed networking formats precisely because they work — the Deguise et al. paper documents how even a one-hour structured event produced lasting supervisor-student connections that informal socialising had failed to create over much longer periods.

What to actually say (and what to stop saying)

Academics are, as a group, genuinely terrible at talking about their own work in accessible terms. You’ve spent three years on a project, so you either over-explain it or retreat into jargon that makes the other person’s eyes glaze over.

Practise a two-sentence version of your research. Not your abstract — your research, explained to a smart person who doesn’t share your specialism. For example, if you work on structural equation modelling in organisational psychology, you might say: "I look at why certain personality traits in managers consistently predict poor project outcomes, even when those managers appear high-functioning on standard assessments." That’s interesting. That invites a follow-up question. However, "I use SEM to examine dark triad constructs in project management contexts" does not.

Also, stop ending conversations with "we should stay in touch" and doing nothing. Instead, send a brief, specific email within 48 hours. Reference something from the conversation. Suggest one concrete next step, even if it’s just sharing a paper.

After the conference: where most academics drop the ball

The networking doesn’t end when you collect your lanyard and catch the train home. In fact, that’s where most of the value either gets built or quietly evaporates.

Within a week, write up a short note — even just for yourself — of every meaningful conversation you had. Who did you speak with? What were they working on? What did you say you’d do? This sounds tedious, but it takes fifteen minutes and it stops the conference from becoming a blur of name badges and lukewarm wine.

For the people you most want to maintain contact with, find a genuine reason to reach out every few months. Share a paper that’s relevant to their work. Comment on something they’ve published. Ask a specific question. Academic relationships don’t maintain themselves — however, they also don’t require enormous effort. They just require intention.

One more thing worth saying plainly: the conference you almost didn’t attend because the abstract deadline felt too tight is often the one that changes something. Submit the abstract. Book the travel. Show up with a plan.

So — who are the five people you’re going to look up before your next conference?

Image: Photo by Dwayne joe on Unsplash

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