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		<!-- END ODIOGO LISTEN BUTTON v2.5.7 (WP) -->{"id":838,"date":"2010-06-10T20:18:28","date_gmt":"2010-06-10T20:18:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/slewth.wordpress.com\/?p=838"},"modified":"2010-06-10T20:18:28","modified_gmt":"2010-06-10T20:18:28","slug":"12-ways-to-attend-a-conference-for-less-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/slewth.co.uk\/blog\/2010\/06\/10\/12-ways-to-attend-a-conference-for-less-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Ways to Attend a Conference for Less: part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n\t\t<!-- BEGIN ODIOGO LISTEN BUTTON v2.5.7 (WP) -->\r\n\t\t<script type=\"text\/javascript\" language=\"javascript\">\r\n\t\t<!--\r\n\t\t\/\/ ODIOGO_START:do_NOT_remove_this_comment\r\n\t\tshowOdiogoReadNowButton (\"687068\", \"12 Ways to Attend a Conference for Less: part 2\", \"838\", 290, 55);\r\n\t\t\/\/ -->\r\n\t\t<\/script>\r\n\t\t<br\/>\r\n\t\t<script type=\"text\/javascript\" language=\"javascript\">\r\n\t\t<!--\r\n\t\tshowInitialOdiogoReadNowFrame (\"687068\", \"838\", 290, 0);\r\n\t\t\/\/ ODIOGO_END:do_NOT_remove_this_comment\r\n\t\t\/\/ -->\r\n\t\t<\/script>\r\n\t\t<!-- END ODIOGO LISTEN BUTTON v2.5.7 (WP) -->\r\n\t\t\n<p><strong>Numbers 7-12<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s my final offering, part 2 of <a title=\"Ways to attend a conference for less, part 1\" href=\"http:\/\/slewth.wordpress.com\/2010\/06\/03\/12-ways-to-attend-a-conference-for-less\/\" target=\"_self\">&#8216;Ways to Attend a Conference for Less&#8217;<\/a>. If you think I\u2019ve missed something, or you have additions to make \u2013 please add your thoughts via comments. Contributions are more than welcome!<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>7. Be a Rapporteur<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>A rapporteur is a person appointed to investigate an issue or situation and report back to the appointing organisation. If you know of NGOs, charities, departments, committees, associations and agencies in your field that may be interested in a national event you are targeting, contact them directly. State that you are planning to attend Conference X and ask whether they would be interested in your acting as a rapporteur for them and &#8211; if so &#8211; whether the organisation would be able to supplement your attendance. It is highly unlikely that the organisation will pay your registration costs (they would most likely send their own people), however, you may be able to negotiate all or part of your travel costs in return for a report on the conference that pays close attention to the particular interests of your new sponsor.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> This is by no means an easy way to bring down your conference costs, as it requires careful organisation.\u00a0 As with <a title=\"Ways to attend a conference for less, part 1\" href=\"http:\/\/slewth.wordpress.com\/2010\/06\/03\/12-ways-to-attend-a-conference-for-less\/\" target=\"_self\">\u2018Be a Journalist\u2019<\/a>\u00a0(below) you may want to consider having a CV to hand, with proof of writing experience to demonstrate you have the skills necessary. Also, you will need to make sure that the conference sessions that you are interested in will be commensurate with the interests of the organisation sponsoring you.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Finally, and perhaps most importantly, you are supplying a professional service to your sponsor. Your note-taking will need to be of a high-quality, and you may need to dedicate substantial time to writing-up your report. On the other hand, this could be an excellent way of introducing yourself to potential sponsors (employers?!) and proving yourself to be both useful and professional.\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>8. Be a Volunteer<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Those of you paying attention will have spotted the great Comment contributions from <a title=\"Karen's Mardahl.dk blog\" href=\"http:\/\/www.mardahl.dk\/\" target=\"_blank\">Karen<\/a>\u00a0about <a title=\"Karen's comments on volunteering\" href=\"http:\/\/slewth.wordpress.com\/2010\/06\/03\/12-ways-to-attend-a-conference-for-less\/#comment-297\" target=\"_self\">volunteering at conferences<\/a>. Volunteering may ensure you can attend a conference for free, or at a reduced rate. This point merges with the next, but note that being a volunteer need not be the experience of a general dogsbody.\u00a0 If a conference is <strong>not<\/strong> delivered by an Events Management Company, there should be opportunities available.\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>9. Be a Conference Organiser<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Closely linked to Volunteering, this Conference Organisation also recognises the value in getting involved in a conference at a more formative level. Routes into conference organisation may come for students in the form of Post-Graduate conferences, local Research Networks, or larger conferences organised within your department or by colleagues in your field. <a title=\"About UnConferences\" href=\"http:\/\/www.unconference.net\/unconferencing-how-to-prepare-to-attend-an-unconference\/\" target=\"_blank\">Unconferences<\/a> offer another way in, for those wanting to get their hands dirty (<a title=\"Karen's thoughts on Unconferences\" href=\"http:\/\/slewth.wordpress.com\/2010\/06\/03\/12-ways-to-attend-a-conference-for-less\/#comment-299\">thanks again to Karen on this<\/a>!).\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Organisational committees usually require regular meetings to arrange and discuss the finer points of organisation. If you are a post-graduate student, your role may depend on the networks you are involved in, or simply how pushy\/assertive\u00a0you are. You may be representing your host institution, relaying information or working to represent and involve your peers. If you are not a departmental or business insider with funds to deploy, remember you may have leverage in terms of your own expertise (Accessibility? Technology? Education? Other?) and your access to contributions \u2018in-kind\u2019. There are particular aspects of support that all conferences require, including helping hands to promote the event to relevant communities, Referees to gauge and review the quality of papers submitted, and session Chairs who introduce speakers, co-ordinate questioning and ensure that presentation slots run to time.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<div><strong>10. Be Self-Employed<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Becoming self-employed is a significant step that should not be taken lightly. In effect you are setting up a small business which will entail managing your tax return, record keeping and invoicing amongst other things. However, as a freelancer [registered sole-trader] in the UK I\u2019m able to offset business expenses against tax. \u00a0Conferences, travel and subsistence (meals and overnight accommodation) make up part of my business expenses. Clearly there\u2019s a balance to be struck here \u2013 as to claim for expenses you need to ensure enough taxable income to make this viable.<\/p>\n<p>More information about becoming self-employed is available via <a title=\"Business Link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.businesslink.gov.uk\/bdotg\/action\/layer?topicId=1073875654\" target=\"_blank\">Business Link\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0 and <a title=\"Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs: Self Employment\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hmrc.gov.uk\/selfemployed\/\" target=\"_blank\">HMRC<\/a>.\u00a0 The Inland Revenue also provide a <a title=\"Expenses and Benefits Guide\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hmrc.gov.uk\/guidance\/480.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">guide to \u201cExpenses and Benefits\u201d<\/a> .\u00a0 For a plain language version aimed at Freelancers consider the <a title=\"Freelancer Guide to Business Expenses\" href=\"http:\/\/www.freelanceadvisor.co.uk\/accountancy_and_tax\/freelance-expenses-what-business-expenses-can-i-claim\/\" target=\"_blank\">Freelance Advisor Guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>11. Off-set the Costs <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Substantial Freebies are relatively rare. Many conferences include a \u2018goodie bag\u2019 containing a memory stick with the conference proceedings therein, a journal or two and some note paper. However more notable Goodies\u00a0do exist. Were you thinking of buying an iPad? Maybe you should&#8217;ve\u00a0registered for\u00a0this year\u2019s <a title=\"Handheld Learning Conference 2010\" href=\"http:\/\/www.handheldlearning.co.uk\/component\/option,com_smf\/Itemid,58\/topic,1667.msg4678#msg4678\" target=\"_blank\">Handheld Learning Conference <\/a>. At between \u00a3495-\u00a3595.00, their early-bird registration is steep \u2013 but it includes a free iPad and a \u00a3100 voucher for the Game Based Learning Conference. Double trouble! <strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>12. Attend Remotely <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Attending a conference remotely is\u00a0an increasingly viable option as conferences become &#8216;amplified&#8217;.\u00a0 Whilst conferencing from the comfort of your own home or place of work might not be as glamorous\u00a0as jetting to distant climes for cocktails and parallel sessions, it&#8217;s\u00a0difficult to find a more convenient option.\u00a0Where else can you watch presentations in your pyjamas? Don&#8217;t answer that.<\/p>\n<p>The term \u2018amplified events\u2019 was coined to describe ways in which networks and related technologies are being used to enhance the impact of, and access to, discussions and learning at events such as scholarly conferences.<\/p>\n<p>Amplified events may make use of <a title=\"http:\/\/www.twitter.com\" href=\"http:\/\/www.twitter.com\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter<\/a> (as an event \u2018back channel\u2019), <a title=\"Slide Share\" href=\"http:\/\/www.slideshare.com\" target=\"_blank\">Slideshare<\/a>\u00a0(making presentation slides available), social networks,\u00a0live video streaming, downloadable video\u00a0and event &#8216;hashtags&#8217; to allow content to be easily found. Blogrolls\u00a0may combine all the online commentary posted after an event offering a &#8216;digested read&#8217; of key speakers and sessions. From this point it&#8217;s increasingly possible to follow up such leads online, making connections with delegates without attending in person.\u00a0 Some events take place entirely within virtual spaces (although I must admit, my <a title=\"Second Life\" href=\"http:\/\/www.secondlife.com\" target=\"_blank\">SecondLife<\/a> avatar is getting a little dusty).\u00a0 Moreover, even those events that are not formally represented\u00a0online may have\u00a0been compromised by rogue Tweeters; counter-surveillance and wi-fi lock-down not withstanding.\u00a0\u00a0Read more about the benefits of amplified events on <a title=\"Amplified Conferences\" href=\"http:\/\/ukwebfocus.wordpress.com\/2007\/09\/13\/amplified-conferences\/\" target=\"_blank\">Brian Kelly&#8217;s blog <\/a><\/p>\n<p>If you are unable to attend for any reason, developing your own strategies for navigating multi-media coverage\u00a0makes observation and interaction possible. I increasingly find that tracking hashtags for key conferences in my field allows me to extend my Twitter network to incoporate\u00a0new people that I might never have otherwise discovered. Of course, there are other benefits.\u00a0 For example, last year the <a title=\"Handheld Learning Conference 2009\" href=\"http:\/\/www.handheldlearning2009.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Handheld Learning Conference 2009<\/a>\u00a0made many of their presentations available to watch online and download via iTunes. This meant I was fortunate to be able to listen to a keynote by the Great Ray Kurtzweil\u00a0whilst washing up with my Ipod\u00a0in my pocket. This\u00a0allowed me to multi-task though chores and with my work schedule unaffected.\u00a0 Listening to and viewing presentations in this way\u00a0later informed my\u00a0<a title=\"Digital inclusion and mobile learning post\" href=\"http:\/\/slewth.wordpress.com\/2009\/10\/23\/digital-inclusion-and-mobile-learning\/\" target=\"_self\">blog post\u00a0about the conference\u2019s inclusion strand<\/a>.<\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\r\n\t\t<!-- BEGIN ODIOGO LISTEN BUTTON v2.5.7 (WP) -->\r\n\t\t<script type=\"text\/javascript\" language=\"javascript\">\r\n\t\t<!--\r\n\t\t\/\/ ODIOGO_START:do_NOT_remove_this_comment\r\n\t\tshowOdiogoReadNowButton (\"687068\", \"12 Ways to Attend a Conference for Less: part 2\", \"838\", 290, 55);\r\n\t\t\/\/ -->\r\n\t\t<\/script>\r\n\t\t<br\/>\r\n\t\t<script type=\"text\/javascript\" language=\"javascript\">\r\n\t\t<!--\r\n\t\tshowInitialOdiogoReadNowFrame (\"687068\", \"838\", 290, 0);\r\n\t\t\/\/ ODIOGO_END:do_NOT_remove_this_comment\r\n\t\t\/\/ -->\r\n\t\t<\/script>\r\n\t\t<!-- END ODIOGO LISTEN BUTTON v2.5.7 (WP) -->\r\n\t\t\n<p>Numbers 7-12 Here\u2019s my final offering, part 2 of &#8216;Ways to Attend a Conference for Less&#8217;. If you think I\u2019ve missed something, or you have additions to make \u2013 please add your thoughts via comments. Contributions are more than welcome! 7. Be a Rapporteur\u00a0 A rapporteur is a person appointed to investigate an issue or [&hellip;]<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_s2mail":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,9],"tags":[284,89,130],"class_list":["post-838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-comment","category-conferences","tag-conferences","tag-hacks","tag-phd"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/slewth.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/838","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/slewth.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/slewth.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/slewth.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/slewth.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=838"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/slewth.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/838\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/slewth.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=838"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/slewth.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=838"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/slewth.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=838"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}