How to Write a Conference Abstract

Other tips:

• Talk to your colleagues and ask for conference recommendations
• Check out regional, state, and national organization's conferences
• Sign up for professional organization's email lists and newsletters

Things to consider when searching for conference opportunities:

• Conference format- virtual or in-person?
• If it's in person you should consider the location and how you will get there
• The date, are you available?
• Travel expenses such as airfare, hotel, car rental, public transport, meals, registration fee, etc.
• Check to see if the conference organization offers conference grants or scholarships to help cover costs

Another thing to consider as you seek conference opportunities is what type of presentation you will give. Would you rather give a poster presentation or speak? For those new to speaking, a poster presentation may be less stressful than standing up in front of an audience at a podium. Some conferences allow you to select which type of presentation to give; other conferences make the decision for you. The presentations are usually short.

Predatory conferences are run by companies whose only goal is to make money, not to provide an actual learning experience for their attendees. ​

• Watch out for email solicitations that ask you to be a speaker, and which contain vague details, spelling/grammatical errors, and senders without credentials ​
• ​Be wary of soundalike conferences, those that try to confuse you by having titles almost identical to their legitimate counterparts ​
• ​Avoid any conferences that are charging speaker fees
• ​Be wary of exotic destinations where the conference is marketed more as a vacation ​
• ​Be sure to investigate the sponsoring organization and try to find information about past conferences: who spoke, what were the sessions like, etc. 
• ​You can research past conferences to see who presented and which organization sponsored the past event