Professional development is important, and attending conferences is a great way to disseminate information, learn, and build your CV.
Body image team presenting at NCPA 2017
Look at conference deadlines and requirements
Registration deadlines
Early bird registration is usually cheaper
Registration as a member can sometimes be cheaper (i.e., become a member and then register for the conference)
You can find registration information on the conference's website
It is best to have things to present (posters, talks) to make attending a conference worth the cost
Check to see when the submission deadline is as it is often much earlier than the registration for the conference
Make sure to look at the conference's theme for the year if planning to submit research (sometimes conferences will want you to tie your research into their theme)
Check the requirements for how long your submission can be
Check to see if there are certain ways they want you to format your submission
It is important to pay attention to the location of the conference as this can impact travel costs, especially if the conference would require a flight vs. being able to drive there
If presenting, it is important to check with any co-presenters that they are willing to travel to the conference
Ask others in HGAPS or at your university if they are attending the conference and about opportunities at the conference
Splitting hotels and/or travel can make trips much cheaper
Traveling together can increase time with HGAPS or university members and can foster ideas, relationships, and collaboration
Get involved with note taking if HGAPS has been asked to take notes for the conference (reference here for how to take notes at a conference)
Check to see if the conference is looking for volunteers to help with the event (this can sometimes come with free registration for the conference)
Apply for grants and travel awards
Small travel awards and poster funding are sometimes available
Small travel grants (some APA divisions offer funding if you submit under them, ABCT usually gives some funding awards)
Look into your university’s department of scholarships and funding (often times undergraduate research offices have travel grants and graduate schools often have travel awards available for students)
The Psychology department at your university may award travel money to student presenters (this is more typical for graduate students)
Check with your research mentor to see if they have funding they can use to help you travel to present research
Other organizations at your university may give grants and money awards
Tuesday is generally the cheapest day to buy flights on most major airlines
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday are typically the cheapest days to fly
Airlines like Spirit and Frontier can be a cheaper option if not traveling with luggage; however, if you are traveling with luggage they can often be more expensive
Since COVID consider getting travel insurance in case the conference is cancelled, pushed back, or moved online
The more people you stay with, the cheaper your arrangements can be
Airbnb is often a good option, conference hotels are convenient (but expensive!)
Consider staying in a hotel room with others traveling from HGAPS or your university to reduce costs
Consider if you need to get a rental car or will just use public transportation/ Uber
It may be cheaper to get a rental car and split the costs with others going from HGAPS or your university
HGAPS at MICAMH 2020
Look at the schedule for talks and workshops for the conference
Plan out which presentations you plan on attending
Look at what is free to attend (CE sessions are typically not free, but many other talks and session are)
Choose talks from and about people and topics that you are interested in
Network and learn!
Do some research about the presenters you are planning to attend
This will help you know more about what is being presented
Help you have better conversations with them
Sometimes presenters link suggested articles to read for their talks
If presenting, check to see when you are scheduled to present and inform your team
Posters must be able to travel or must be printed at your location
Make these plans as soon as possible
Ensure your poster will travel safely and meets restrictions
Conferences will typically have size limits or even templates
Prepare an elevator pitch if presenting a poster
A 2-3 minute overview of the poster/ research
Be prepared to answer questions about your research
Prepare your talk if presenting a workshop or symposium
Create slides for your presentation
Rehearse your presentation
Be prepared to answer any questions about your presentation
Look at things to do in the city
Restaurants, museums, or just general exploring can be nice while you’re in a new place