Congratulations, you're covering a conference! Perhaps your editor is sending you, or you’re attending on a scholarship or as part of a fellowship program.
I’ve been fortunate enough to explore several countries and topic areas through conferences and can confidently say that they can make you a better journalist — if you navigate them smartly.
Here is some advice I gathered from my recent experience at the HIV Research For Prevention (HIVR4P) conference in Lima, Peru:
Be prepared
While journalists thrive on the unexpected, you are likely to get lost if you try to improvise your experience at a conference. This is especially true if you are a freelancer, or have an editor who takes a long time to approve pitches.
HIVR4P was the first conference where I dedicated significant time beforehand to fully understand the program and what I planned to cover. For instance, I saw on the program some speakers from Canada, which prompted me to reach out to a publication that reports on HIV in Canada, and with whom I had previously connected, to cover the presentation. This presentation, which had less buzz around it, normally would have passed me by but it ended up being an ideal session to cover for this particular client.
In this case, it made all the difference that I was clear about what I planned to pursue. It also helped me not feel guilty about missing sessions that did not fit into my plan.
Focus in
You don’t need to cover everything at a conference — even if you tried, you wouldn’t be able to. Prepare yourself by focusing on certain topics, people and sessions.
For instance, before attending HIVR4P I was interested in writing a story on how pregnant and lactating people are included in research studies. But, despite several attempts to sell a story about this, none of my editors bit. As a result, while I still tracked the topic at the conference, I did not make it a priority to follow it in-depth.
Bijan Farnoudi, the communications and public affairs director at the International AIDS Society, supported journalists like me during HIVR4P, helping arrange interviews, organize training for us, and more. He recommended that journalists have a firm plan for who they want to interview and what sessions they would like to cover. “Whether you're a journalist or a delegate, it can be absolutely overwhelming, and you just need to make a roadmap for yourself,” he said.
Spot the magic
While preparation will take you a long way, being flexible will enrich your experience. “The magic happens when you find the sweet spot between being super prepared, having a roadmap, hitting all the sessions that you want to hit, and allowing for the free flow of a conference,” Farnoudi said.
The beauty of conferences is that there is typically a vast buffet of information at hand. A variety of experts from different disciplines and organizations are all in the same space, and usually receptive to engaging with you. Grab them at the coffee station and you might get an interview in minutes, with little fuss.
This level of availability means you also need to be smart about grabbing unexpected opportunities. Ask conference delegates what they find interesting. Pick up on the golden nuggets hidden in question and answer sessions — for instance, when an attendee asks how results discussed in one session might relate to something else entirely. There are stories everywhere!
“There are other things that are hidden in between that might be applicable to your readers and to your community, or that you think isn't getting enough attention,” said Juan Michael Porter II, senior editor at TheBody.com and TheBodyPro, and the host of the International AIDS Society’s podcast. If many other journalists are focusing on a big story, consider looking for something more niche to report on, he added: “If you see everyone following something, I would say, avoid it.”
Don’t just cover — connect
Some might find covering conferences boring compared to other news environments, or argue that you can skip attending and listen to recordings of the sessions at a later date. However, a recording can never replace the immersion that comes from spending time on the ground with leading experts.
“A great part of this is just the human connection and the coffee-side chats or the after-work strolls from the venue back to the hotel,” Farnoudi said. “That kind of personal connection can open up a door that you had no idea existed.”
Attending a conference in person can help build connections for the future, including with other journalists. For instance, at the HIVR4P conference, I connected with multiple journalists who put me in touch with their editors and introduced me to other professional opportunities. There are people from conferences I’ve attended that I still speak to regularly and who have become colleagues and even friends. One editor I met at a conference in 2014 became my regular editor almost a decade later!
Leave with something useful
Conferences have introduced me to whole new areas of work, and professional connections. They have allowed me to travel around the world and meet incredible people.
If you get the opportunity to attend one, make sure you soak it all in and leave with as many stories, memories and connections as possible.
Photo by Mikael Kristenson on Unsplash.
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