A brilliant chair can make all the difference in making a conference, symposium or roundtable truly brilliant—for speakers as well as participants. It is also a crucial skill that you can use in teaching and even your supervision meetings!

You’ve most probably experienced the dark side of chairing: that chair who shoehorns their research into a conference session, manages to start the domino effect of a conference running behind time and who can’t quite manage that inevitable really long and not at all to the point question-that-isn’t-really-a-question.

This session will explore the role and responsibilities of the chair and the purpose of chairing. We will also explore practical strategies from managing tech, timing and people to help you strike a balance between being attentive, inclusive, informed and yet firm so you can chair brilliantly and confidently.