PhD Talk for AcademicTransfer: How to organize an international conference

This post is part of the series PhD Talk for AcademicTransfer: posts written for the Dutch academic career network AcademicTransfer, your go-to resource for all research positions in the Netherlands.

These posts are sponsored by AcademicTransfer, and tailored to those of you interested in pursuing a research position in the Netherlands.

If these posts raise your interest in working as a researcher in the Netherlands, even better – and feel free to fire away any questions you might have on this topic!

I didn’t exactly plan to become part of the organizing committee for the First Structural Engineering Congress IABSE Ecuador 2025. At first, I was just happy to know to see our national group leadership roll up their sleeves and tackle an event of this magnitude. I wasn’t involved in the early logistics and planning, but, as often happens in academic circles, I got “voluntold” into the team. Since I’m quite active in IABSE and was running for one of the Vice President spots, my colleagues very kindly (ahem) nudged me to help out. And so, I went from mildly interested observer to full-on co-organizer of a major international event.

Organizing a conference of this size and scope was no small feat, but it was a fantastic learning experience. Here are some of the key lessons I learned , which may help you if you ever find yourself “volunteered” into conference organizing duties:

1. Use the existing infrastructure

Before you try to reinvent the wheel, check what’s already available. Our university has a well-oiled system for organizing events, including methods for reserving space on campus for events, catering, security, and payments. We leaned heavily on these internal processes, which saved us a lot of time and unnecessary stress, and also made sure that we aligned with the internal expectations. If your university doesn’t offer this kind of support, or if you are organizing a very large event, consider hiring a professional conference organizer.

2. Secure strong keynote speakers early

Having well-known names on your program helps with promotion and credibility. As soon as we had a confirmed date and theme, we reached out to a esteemed colleagues in the region to secure our keynote speakers. Their willingness to participate gave the event visibility and helped us attract both academic attendees and sponsors. Keynotes also help shape the conference identity. Maybe as a tip from the trenches: also book all invited speakers in the same hotel, to simplify your logistics.

3. Personally invite colleagues in your city and beyond

Don’t assume that everyone knows the event is happening just because you’ve posted it online. Personal invitations go a long way. Our National Group Chair reached out to colleagues in our city, across the country, and within the wider IABSE network. Making phone calls and sending short, enthusiastic messages with a link to the registration page and a line about why the event would be relevant to them worked better than any mass email ever could.

4. Involve your students

Students are a secret weapon when organizing a conference. Our students helped with everything: registration, guiding speakers, setting up rooms, even managing social media during the event. For them, it was a valuable learning experience and a chance to network. For us, it was a huge help.

5. Invite students from other universities too

We also extended invitations to students from other universities, especially those involved in structural engineering or related fields. By putting their professors as speakers on the schedule, we made sure their institutions were represented. Not only did this help boost attendance, but it also created a great atmosphere during the event. For many of these students, it was their first exposure to a major international conference, and a great way to connect with the structural engineering community in Ecuador and the IABSE community.

6. Pitch smartly to sponsors

Sponsorship was another key part of our success. Having the IABSE name on the event helped open doors with industry partners. But we also prepared a clear sponsorship package with different tiers and specific benefits (logo visibility, booth space, presentation, etc). Tailor your pitch to what sponsors care about, and don’t be shy to follow up.

After months of planning, inviting, coordinating, the event finally happened and we were sold out. In fact, we had to squeeze in extra seats at the last minute to accommodate everyone. There was a wonderful energy in the room: a mix of students eager to learn, professionals reconnecting, and academics sharing cutting-edge research from different parts of the country. It certainly was all worth it. If you ever get the chance (or get “bullied” into it) to organize an international conference, say yes. It’s a challenging project, but the professional growth, networking, and sense of accomplishment you’ll gain are absolutely priceless.