Conferences, Issue No. 1
Published in The Times Higher on March 19 2004
Leader
'Academics and students may fuss about the hassles of hosting conferences, but both reap the benefits'
Budget bites
Organising a one-day conference requires many talents - not least one for cut-price catering
Smoothie operators
From energising drinks to golf links - a collection of top tips on how expert organisers make a conference an unmissable event
Vroom service
Opening their doors to ad agencies and film and TV companies as well as to conferences can provide institutions with a healthy second income
Starry events lose shine
American universities are veering towards smaller conferences with more practical content
For all who relish a slice of life
Academics, it seems, love a culinary adventure and will eat almost anything
Views with a room
Universities have to be businesslike and professional in providing venues and accommodation
A badge of honour
The annual mass gathering of anthropologists - with its fights over status, territorial disputes and rituals of belonging - is little different from other clannish assemblies
Beside the seaside
Combining learning with leisure is what draws academics to conferences
Boozing or snoozing?
Are conferences hotbeds of sexual liaisons and drink-fuelled sessions at the bar or tedious gatherings of boring old codgers?