What Happens at Conference

“What happens at conference stays at conference.” That’s how I would paraphrase what Gordon Research Conference (GRC) organizers would say. The GRCs are small focused meetings typically with less than 200 participants. We eat meals together, purposefully, for more mingling and exchange of ideas. Presentations feature at least some cutting-edge results that are new and yet-to-be published, hence the call for confidentiality. On the first day, we’re told not to publicize the work presented at the conference. I’ve only been to a few GRCs, and none of them were in Vegas. In any case, I can’t tell you anything about them since what happens at conference, stays at conference.

This past week I was at a very different type of conference. The national American Chemical Society (ACS) conference is held twice a year and has ~15,000 attendees. The host locations are limited to places that have conference centers, usually in a downtown metropolitan area. The Spring 2017 meeting was in San Francisco. There was a national ACS national conference once in Vegas (I didn’t attend) but they were never invited back apparently because chemists aren’t good about spending money at the casinos and other tourist-hotel joints. Maybe chemists are an especially stingy group, because clearly Vegas didn’t make enough money off us.

The ACS does not have a confidentiality clause, so I can divulge what happens at this conference. The downtown conference center is actually not large enough to accommodate everyone so many of the conference sessions are spread out among the nearby hotels. Everything is within walking distance in San Francisco, and the weather was very pleasant. The main things at an ACS conference are: (1) oral presentations, (2) poster presentations, and (3) the Expo where vendors hawk their wares. But probably the most important part about these conferences is not the formal presentations, but the informal networking that goes on in hallways, hotel lobbies and local restaurants.

What you do at a conference to some extent is related to the stage in your career. As a young faculty member, I was very focused on the science. I went to as many talks as I could, walked the halls of the poster sessions, asked questions, and tried to learn as much as possible. I’d visit the Expo at least once to see if there was anything new and interesting. (As a computational chemist, the Expo tends to be less useful.) Nowadays, I spend my time differently. I still attend some talks and poster sessions, but a significant number of them are not in my research area – I’m simply interested in broader things that may or may not have any impact on advancing my career. Meeting up with friends, old and new, has become a much higher priority. Yes, we talk science, but we also just catch up on life. I don’t feel bad about missing some talks in lieu of meet-ups. I still give at least one talk every time I go to the ACS and my research students typically present posters.

One highlight of the conference: The faculty and students in my department who attend often try to have one dinner together as a group. I really enjoyed our dinner gathering in San Francisco. We have a great group of students! Being able to leisurely chat with them about life, family, food, and sometimes a bit of chemistry, is one of the most enjoyable things about being a faculty member! (I also enjoy consuming Asian pastries so having a good Chinatown nearby is a major plus! It’s a bit unhealthy but I did do a lot of walking and I refrained from overeating.) For the students I brought to San Francisco, this was their first national ACS conference, and I think they all enjoyed the new experience. The Expo is also a highlight for students looking to pick up chemistry swag. For me, it’s old hat and I’ve skipped the Expo the last five years.

The only drawback with going to a conference during the semester is the catching up on work responsibilities when you return. Colleagues covered my classes while I was gone (we have a great department culture in helping each other out), but I did have a lot of student work to read and grading to do. However, I managed to get a lot accomplished the last couple of days so I can enjoy a relaxing weekend. We’re in the middle of registration for next semester so I had lots of students coming by to talk about their schedule. My students and advisees also asked me about my trip so I was able to tell them a little about what happens at a chemistry conference. I spent a moment in my classes before my trip telling them about why scientists go to conferences. Hopefully, this gets some of them more excited about chemistry!