Learn more about Patient Involvement
Get in touch to learn more about the role of our Lived Experience Partners and the HIN's work on patient involvement.
Get in touchTop tips for navigating conferences: from attending to speaking
It has become increasingly clear in recent years how important it is to involve people with lived experience in decision-making within health systems. The 2024 Independent Investigation of the National Health Service in England outlined how “listening to patients about what’s important to them would help the NHS deliver tangible improvements to people’s experience of the NHS.”
One way of emphasising the importance of integrating experience into health and care is through conferences. Panels and talks can encourage conversations, learning and change, as well as providing a platform for people with lived experience to share their views on pressing challenges in health and care.
However, visiting or presenting at these events can be extremely daunting. The annual HETT Show, for example, attracts audiences of around 4,000 people. If you’re new to conferences, or even a regular speaker, anxiety and imposter syndrome can sometimes overshadow the opportunity to talk or attend.
The HIN’s Lived Experience Partners, Faith Smith and Aurora Todisco, reflect on their experiences at events like the HETT Show and IHI Forum to share their advice for navigating conferences. Whether you’re speaking or attending, these top tips provide an overview of what to expect, ways to prepare and how the get the most out of these events.
As Lived Experience Partners, we have the privilege of attending conferences and contributing to meaningful conversations around health care. Recently, we were invited to be part of a panel at HETT.
Aurora reflects: "While I didn’t attend in person, I dedicated a significant amount of time to preparing and submitting my notes for the panel discussion. This process filled me with anticipation and purpose, knowing my insights could contribute to meaningful conversations around health care. It reinforced how essential it is for those of us with lived experience to share our perspectives, even from a distance."
Faith shares: "I was part of the Navigating Patient Data Access panel at HETT. The preparation beforehand was key to feeling confident and ready for the event. I volunteered to respond to the first question on how to address and recognise patients input. This allowed me to feel confident with my responses from the beginning and work as a cohesive team with the rest of the panel to answer questions from the audience. The experience demonstrated that lived experience is highly valued in these spaces."
Conferences can be overwhelming, but thorough preparation can help you get the most out of these exciting opportunities. Here are our top tips for navigating conferences with confidence:
Explore the agenda
The agenda provides a preview of how an event will run, including speakers, topics, timings, locations and additional features like workshops. By requesting the agenda through email or downloading it from the conference’s website, you can identify any talks you would like to attend and create your own personalised schedule. Screenshots from the agenda can be saved on your phone to refer to on the day.
It can be tempting to attend lots of different panels and talks at a conference but be mindful of not overloading your plan. Give yourself plenty of time to walk between locations and take breaks, so you can focus and get the most out of the event. Watching a talk in full is better than rushing between different rooms to see overlapping presentations.
After the conference has finished, it can be beneficial to plan some time for reflection. This will give you the chance to look back on the presentations you’ve attended and note down any key messages that have impacted you.
Familiarise yourself with the environment
Conferences are held in a variety of venues, from lecture theatres and meeting rooms to high-capacity halls. Maps of the venue can be found in the programme or online and provide a preview of the expected layout of the space.
Looking at this before the event means you can identify the rooms you would like to visit as well as any accessibility needs, including restrooms and seating. If you have any questions or requests prior to the event or on the day, you can get in touch with staff who will help.
If you are invited to speak, it is a good idea to have some clear directions for travelling to the venue and where you will be meeting the event organisers. When you arrive, find where you will be presenting as soon as possible. This means you’ll have a clear idea of where to go ahead of time. You could consider attending another talk in the space to get an idea of the setup of the room.
Feel confident presenting
If you have been invited to present on a topic or speak as part of a panel, preparing ahead of time can help you feel at ease. List some key points to focus on during the talk and prepare a takeaway message to conclude your presentation.
Most presentations factor in some time for a Q&A. Try to anticipate some possible questions from the audience whilst you’re preparing your presentation so you can form some prompts or answers. It can be helpful to have these notes with you during your talk so you can quickly refer to them and feel more confident in your responses.
Beyond the content of your presentation, familiarise yourself with the technical equipment you’ll be using during your talk. There will be staff available to help you with set-up, but you will often use a microphone, laptop and projector. It is good idea to bring a copy of your presentation on a USB drive or cloud storage in case of technical issues.
Presentation slots can vary from 10 minutes to 1 hour, so do some vocal warmups to avoid straining your voice and have a bottle of water nearby. You may wish to stand for your talk so wear trousers or clothing with a pocket so you can carry the microphone battery with you.
Embrace opportunities for networking
Conferences can provide unique opportunities to have inspiring conversations and connect with likeminded people. Factoring in time and setting goals for networking can help to structure your approach. For example, you may set a specific number of new people to meet or note down some organisations you would like to connect with. If you are new to attending conferences or nervous about networking – start small. Targeting even one or two people or organisations to speak to may help the experience feel much less overwhelming.
The spontaneous conversations you have at events can become lifelong connections, so it is important to keep in contact. Always keep your ID badge on and have an easy way to share your details. Business cards can be helpful, but a screenshot of your email address can also provide a quick way of sharing your contact details, as your new connection can take a photograph to avoid any errors.
After the conference, plan some time to send a thank you or follow up email to your new contacts. This will help to build on your initial meeting and may bring about new opportunities for collaboration.
Champion yourself and others
Conferences can be overstimulating places, with lots of people, noise and buzz. There is not always a quiet space to take some time out, but it is important to take breaks or step outside. Above all, you should prioritise your wellbeing and comfort. This includes wearing comfortable clothing and footwear, as well as drinking plenty of water and eating regularly.
If you do have an issue, make sure you have your local emergency contact numbers stored, especially if you are travelling. If you ever need help, just ask the staff who can support you.
It is important to look out for others, too. It can sometimes feel intimidating to ask for help in new environments or situations. Even if colleagues or contacts have attended many conferences before, knowing they have you there to support them will boost their positive energy. If you know people who are presenting, they may also appreciate seeing a familiar face in the audience.
