Learn how to write a short biography for a conference program.
Introduction
When you attend a conference, one of the first things you do is introduce yourself to the other attendees. This is usually done through a process called "exchanging conference bios."
A conference bio is simply a short, professional summary of who you are and what you do. It's similar to an elevator pitch, only shorter. The purpose of exchanging bios is to help everyone get to know each other quickly and efficiently.
As you can imagine, writing a good conference bio is not as easy as it sounds. In order to make a good impression, you need to be able to condense your entire professional life into one or two paragraphs.
Format
Here's a quick overview of what you should include in your conference bio:
-Your name
-Your title
-Your company
-Your main area of expertise
-A brief overview of your professional experience
-Your education
Remember, the goal of your conference bio is to give the reader a quick snapshot of who you are and what you do. With that in mind, don't get too bogged down in the details. Just hit the highlights and keep it brief.
Example
Need some help getting started? Check out these conference bio examples from some of the most well-known professionals in a variety of industries.
Leading expert in robotics and AI research, Julie Wong. She has authored and co-authored more than 50 publications that have been published in prestigious, peer-reviewed journals. She routinely lectures at conferences throughout the world and was given the coveted Simone Fielding fellowship by the Royal Academy in 2012. Julie created a smart home for her family to live in.
Terrie Sharp, a best-selling novelist who has won the Olive Crime Writer Award twice, is a skilled storyteller. She was raised in Glasgow's most violent housing estate, where she also taught how to use a knife to enter car doors and how to keep silent. Fortunately, she solely used her skills to create her novels. Today, she makes appearances on well-liked daytime television programmes like Police Today and at writing conferences across the UK.
At the age of 14, Ahmed Modine launched his first firm; he retired at the age of 32. Along the process, he twice declared bankruptcy and once lost both his home and automobile. His lessons on starting over from scratch became the most well-liked online course on U-Learn.com: From good to bad to good again: How to be successful when everything is bad. What he doesn't understand about developing a concept into a successful business is unimportant.
Conclusion
Once you have your conference bio drafted, exchange it with a few other attendees before the conference begins. That way, you can put faces to names and start networking before the event even starts.
