how to make our conference- a conference

How to organize a IAP conference

The last few months have shown us, IAP annual conferences are just bad- really really bad. I dont want to go into details of why it is bad, but this post is how to make it better. Please keep in my these will not make the conference "wonderful" just better.

The first thing to change is to have standard operating procedure (SOP). As this is not codified every organizes just does what the earlier person does and also uses it as an excuse.

So the first SOP should be- 7-6 months prior abstract should be invited and 2- 1.1/2 months prior.
The next date should be before 4 months- the program schedule and marque speakers should be released. before 2 or 3 months all the speaker list, workshop - everything should be completed. it should be like this year wherein we dont know who or what is the program other than where it is happening.

The important point to note is in a conference of 2-5 thousand delegates- we need to have concurrent sessions. so the conference starts every day with a plenary session. a plenary session will be under a specific topic- say for example upper limb stroke rehabilitation. The session should not exceed more than 2 hours. The plenary session is headed by a chairperson and 3-4 speakers- experts and researchers in that area. The plenary session is attended by all the delegates- i mean it is done in one huge hall.

Then the delegates break up for concurrent session. so if you have 2000 delegates we should have at least 10 concurrent sessions. concurrent session can be- 1-2 hours programs- which can be paper presentation, skill workshop (say for example how to search for literature, how to write an abstract, or clinical topics like update on OA knee ) or short CMEs. For presenters of these workshops- we need to invite proposals from all the members or all over the world. These session again are done by a group of people (2-5). again inviting proposals and selecting them makes it transparent- as organizers have to tell us why a proposal has been rejected.

the concurrent system also allows for more interactive sessions as having 2000- 3000 people in a single auditorium is not conducive for listening or participation. 

How to select speakers and scientific committee members:

I believe if we have 10 speakers- 4 of them should be from the area where the conference is held. that said or selection of all speakers we should have a set of criteria.
say for example- they should be researchers with some publication (other than predatory journals) they should have extensive clinical expertise in a specific area. well we have anything- but we should have some criteria

why- well otherwise the same idiots will talk, stay, travel and drink in our money and we will all keep on bending over.

Travel grants

Other important aspect of annual conferences is identifying new good researchers. For that one of the ways to do it via making sure they come to the conference and present there study. For that the association should form a travel grant. which will act as an incentive. 

I am not found of having international faculty, as it is very expensive and very limited value. However, if we want to do, again they should be sellers of products, but researchers, who can through light on areas in which we are lagging.   

The abstract should be revived in 5- 10 themes. so if we assume- we get 500 abstracts we should have a scientific committee which at least has 10 people. Abstracts should be written in a common pattern and the authors should be amend it in accordance with recommendations of the committee findings. This in turn will and should be published in the national journal.

please keep in mind- all of these are just what i think, it has to be debated and a particular SOP has to be adopted.

love


K hariohm