For the past couple of years I’ve been involved in running the Oxford University Scientific Society. We host weekly talks in Oxford during the Undergraduate Term, inviting speakers from all scientific disciplines to come and discuss their field with our members. Here are four important lessons I’ve learned from being involved!
1. General talks are often better received than highly specific ones
This applies primarily if you are hosting speakers outside of a Departmental context – if you are hosting a talk on the Navier Stokes Equations in the Maths Department, then a detailed discussion of the functions and assumptions involved will be appreciated and understood by most of the audience. However, if you are trying to engage people to take an interest in your area of science, such detailed presentations are usually counter-productive. My advice is to recommend to your invited speakers to refer sparingly to papers, and instead to present their work in a more holistic (yet accurate) way. Their central aim should be to take an audience on a journey from a passing interest in the subject to a burning desire to know more. You can often judge by the number and type of questions at the end of the talk how well this was achieved!
2. If hosting a high profile speaker, ticketing is essential
Last week we hosted the Nobel Laureate, Sir Peter Ratcliffe. Had we not ticketted the event through a professional company (e.g. Eventbrite, TickX, etc.), it would have been complete chaos both before the event (with cancellations, ticket reassignments), and on the door (people will always try their luck!). They charge a fair percentage surplus on each ticket, but it really is worth it. Be aware that with most companies, if you sell over 200 tickets, will consider you a business, and will start asking you for the according credentials (such as your Business Registration Number). So if you are a student society acting under your universities’ charitable status, you want to make sure you have all the relevant documentation well ahead of time (especially if your institution is a charity due to an Act of Parliament in 1571, and so does not have a registered charity number!)
3. Recording: leave it to the experts
If you intend to record a presentation, make sure to book someone who knows what they are doing to manage the whole process. In my experience, it’s better not to bother filming/live streaming unless you can make a really good job of it – noone is prepared to watch substandard video and audio in this day and age. To achieve the necessary quality, you need additional lighting, specialist videocameras and tripods, high-fidelity clip-on microphones (preferably secured to the lapel closest to the screen, as presenters always seems to tilt their head that way!), and someone who knows how to set them all up properly to deliver a seamless recording. The best in the business will also film other scenes before and after the talk for B-roll which is invaluable when it comes to the editing stage. If you want to help document your event, it’s much better to throw your efforts into taking good quality pictures – most modern cameras have a lot of software to help achieve impressive results. However, the disruption to the event, as you sneak around to get the best angles, and the large lighting gradient (dimmed audience, lit stage) can still make these hard to achieve.
4. Sponsorship: Contacts are king, but failing that do your research!
There really is no easy way to secure sponsorship for a society. The hardest part is usually getting to talk to someone who actually has the authority to help you, and internal Company contacts can make this process a lot easier. For most people then, this means that – however awkward it may feel – a certain degree of cold calling/emailing is required. We have found most success by detailing clearly and succinctly (a one- or two-page poster) why your Society and their Company would be a good fit, and precisely what you can deliver them for their support. It is important to make sure your ‘cold email’ feels as warm and tailored as possible. It’s also advisable to offer some direct perks, such as inviting Company representatives to certain events, to create a more personal working relationship. This is invaluable when it comes to keeping supporters on board year-to-year.
