A professional conference is a meeting of authorities in a given subject or
profession
A profession is a field of Work (human activity), work that has been successfully professionalized. It can be defined as a disciplined group of individuals, professionals, who adhere to ethical standards and who hold themselves out as, and are ...
, dealing with organizational matters, matters concerning the status of the profession, and scientific or technical developments. It differs from an
academic conference
An academic conference or scientific conference (also congress, symposium, workshop, or meeting) is an Convention (meeting), event for researchers (not necessarily academics) to present and discuss their scholarly work. Together with academic jou ...
in having broader goals, and usually a much broader attendance. They are normally sponsored by the
professional society in the field, and usually are organized on a national basis.
Some are international, usually organized by federations or groups of the national societies in a subject, such as the conferences held by the
International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA).
Some are local, normally by state, province, or other local sections of a national body.
They are often held annually, or on some other recurring basis. Some of the largest societies hold more than one a year.
Others are held as a one time event, and are usually devoted to a specific topic.
See also
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Academic conference
An academic conference or scientific conference (also congress, symposium, workshop, or meeting) is an Convention (meeting), event for researchers (not necessarily academics) to present and discuss their scholarly work. Together with academic jou ...
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Colloquium
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Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
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Convention (meeting)
A convention (or event), in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at an arranged place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. The most common conventions are based upon industry, profession, ...
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Event Planning and Production
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Seminar
A seminar is a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some part ...
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Symposium
References
*Mundray, S. et al., Designing Successful Professional Meetings and Conferences in Education. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, 2000.
*Rogers, T. Conferences and Conventions: A Global Industry. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2003. {{ISBN, 0-7506-5747-2
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