Preparing for DRS Conference

A large cohort from ImaaginationLancaster is going to the DRS conference in Bilbao at the end of the month. For many this is the first in-person conference in over two years, and for some it is their first ever in-person conference.

To support our amazing researchers we held a DRS Day here in the Imagination Lab, LICA. This was also a way for people to catch up in more detail on what their fellow researchers were working on.

This day was designed around what support the team felt they needed most. In the morning we had a session discussing online profiles, such as here on our website, social media, and other places where people may find information about you and your research. It was useful to discuss the various types of audiences and how to tailor your profile to them, to understand different platforms have different audiences.

Over lunch we had a brief chat about presentations followed by several of our researchers taking the opportunity to practice presenting their paper and taking Q&As from the audience.

Finally, after the presentations, we held a session on networking best practices. Some ideas that came from this session were

• be interestED
• prepare two or three different ‘elevator’ pitches depending on who you are talking to
• don’t be afraid to bring your personality into the conversation
• most people will be feeling the same as you

All in all the people who attended the DRS Day found it very useful and enjoyed taking part.