Presenting at Conferences and Seminars

Understanding the differences between seminars and conferences
If we were to consider the oral delivery of information as a hierarchy, it might look something
like this:
Hieracrchy of oral delivery of conferences
seminars
information
lectures
presentations
discussion groups
At the bottom of the hierarchy would be discussion groups (one moderator, open floor or table
discussions), presentations (a narrow topic, usually with a single expert speaker, audience
participation usually reserved to the end), lectures (a single expert speaker, a Q&A at the end
of the lecture), seminars (a wider topic, one or more expert speakers, audience participation
throughout the seminar), and conferences ( with the widest topic, containing multiple
discussion groups, presentations, lectures, and seminars, which often run concurrently).
This reading will focus on providing an overview of the differences between the top two rungs
of the hierarchy: seminars and conference presentations, then will provide some information
on the skills you should focus on if you were to deliver either of these contexts.
Seminars
A seminar is a delivered to an audience on a particular topic or set of topics and tends to be
educational in nature. It is usually held for groups of 10-50 individuals. Seminars are frequently
held at hotel meeting spaces or within an office conference room. Seminars are educational
events that feature one or more subject matter experts delivering information primarily via
lecture and discussion. A seminar is often one person giving perhaps an hour-long lecture,
although there could be more than one speaker as well.
Increasingly, the term "seminar" is used to describe a commercial event where delegates are
given information and instruction in a subject such as property investing, other types of
investing, marketing, self-improvement or a wide range of topics, by experts in that field.
Skills for a seminar presentation
The main goal in a seminar is to communicate and teach the audience something. As a result of
this educational goal, the type of presentation you give should be informative. You are not
trying to overtly sell the audience something or persuade them to do anything.
Seminars also tend to be relatively small (between 10-50 participants) so there is an
opportunity for these presentations to be quite interactive with audience participation
encouraged. The presenter should feed into this ‘interactive’ style by using communal, inclusive
language. The body language for a seminar should also include good eye contact and natural
movement around the presentation space to appear at ease in the group.
When conducting an audience analysis in preparation for a seminar presentation, keep in mind
that you may have audience members who are not experts in the field you are presenting. As a
result, a good seminar presentation should have clear definitions and examples of any technical
information and the presenter should not use any technical jargon that may confuse or alienate
the general audience.
Conferences
A conference is a large pre-arranged meeting for consultation, exchange of information, or
discussion, with a formal agenda. A conference is usually quite large, possibly taking up many
rooms in a hotel or a convention center. It usually takes up several days and tends to be an
annual event.
Conferences often feature keynote presentations which are delivered to all attendees, as well
as multiple sessions where presenters give informative presentations to what is usually an
audience of their peers. Attendees often expect to receive information about industry trends
and developments.
Conference can take place in different fields, and need not be academic in nature. For example,
we have sport conferences, a trade conference, a conference of journalists, conference of
doctors, a conference of research scholars, and so on.
Skills for a conference presentation
The goal when presenting in a conference is to communicate up-to-date information or
research to an audience of your peers. Though you will not be teaching your audience anything
necessarily, the presentation should also be informative. Your goal is to share information with
your audience members.
Conference presentations can be many different sizes, but their style will be more structured
and formal than a seminar. Presenters will usually speak in a formal register and limit their
movement around the presentation space to the podium and/or screen area. Audience
members will not be expected to participate within the presentation itself, though there will be
a Q & A session at the end of the presentation.
When conducting an audience analysis to prepare for a conference presentation, remember
that most of your audience will be at least somewhat familiar with your field, if not your specific
topic. As a result, you do not need to present basic content or simple definitions though you
may give some general background information at the beginning of the presentation if there
could be audience members who need this.

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Understanding the differences between seminars and conferences

Hieracrchy of oral delivery of conferences

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