Tyson Charteris, Founder and CEO of AcceleSite, shared on LinkedIn:
”The Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS) – ANZ Site Solutions Summit in Melbourne was the first conference I’ve ever attended and all I can say is… Wow.
So much talent, so many incredible people in the one room, all working together to collaborate and share insights with the common goal of improving medicine and clinical research operations. I learned about so many amazing initiatives going on in our industry, from Grampians Health’s mobile clinical trials unit to Cancer Institute NSW’s medical consumables sustainability program and Health New Zealand, Te Whatu Ora Te Pūriri o Te Ora’s implementation of AI in clinical research operations.
A few insights I gained from this event both for other first-time conference attendees:
- Talk to everyone, not just your target audience: you’re there to make genuine connections and enhance the conversation, not just make a sale. You’re a human first and foremost, so just be yourself and be curious – every conversation is a learning opportunity.
- Find a safe space: conferences are loud environments with lots of chatter and a lot of people. That can be seriously exhausting. It’s ok to retreat to a corner or a quiet booth or even step outside for a bit to recover before the next session or conversation.
- It was everyone’s first conference once: if you’re feeling anxious or unsure what to do, it’s ok to name it.
Taking a breath and just saying
‘It’s my first conference, I don’t know what I’m doing yet’
transformed my first conversations from stammering messes into genuine engagements.
I’m so grateful for everyone who supported me through it and for the opportunity to pay it forward helping others. I’m looking forward to the next one!”
Other articles about SCRS on OncoDaily.
