The European Congress on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ECTH) 2016 in The Hague was organized and executed to perfection by MCI. It offered the engaging and in particular younger researchers in the field of thrombosis and haemostasis an opportunity to present and discuss their work. As is the case at science conferences, presentations with countless slides and heavy data is on the menu and accordingly, these types of lectures can take quite a while. As a result this can be rather time intensive for those attendees who intend to follow the full programme.
Jan-Jaap Verhoef is a disarming speaker who likes to improvise in a calculated way.
The ECTH organisation took the decision to liven up the programme. I was asked to coach eight PhD researchers – emerging talents from all over Europe – to each deliver a lively but brief presentation. These series of talks were referred to as: “Science, Fast and Furious”. Therefore the large auditorium was filled up in no time because: short and sweet, well that was a big pull for this audience.
The congress organisers witness the results of ‘Science, Fast and Furious’
A challenge for the eight young scientists, this type of lecture focuses more on the context of the research. Consequently there is no time for a step-by-step introduction to evidence with tables full of measurements and data. The audience were enthusiastic. As a result they remained enraptured right up until the final speaker. The question is: how did I guide these academics?
Maximilian Gorelashvili was visibly thrilled when making his research accessible to his audience.
Firstly, we formulated each presenter’s individual goal. You can of course explain your research, however, what is most important to you that your audience retains? Furthermore, the audience has a certain expectation. How do you facilitate that? Or, how do you adjust that expectation? These questions culminated in three Skype sessions per speaker and quite some emails before the strategy and the stories were ready.
Maria Luisa Lozano presented without slides, this is a rare occurrence for a scientific lecture.
All talks were filmed, which was a fine addition to the training for the overall evaluation. However, not all presentations were released for distribution outside of the congress. Fortunately, you can order a ticket for the upcoming congress in Marseille: ECTH 2018. I am coaching a group of researchers there again, who will be guided to a successful performance well in advance of their congress appearance.
Belgian Elodi Laridan is carrying out pioneering research and has a super strong message.
I will definitely keep you up to date regarding ECTH 2018, which appears to be very promising and to which I myself am looking forward. Especially due to the fact that all speakers discover that they gain an effective tool which they can often use in their professional lives. They are taught a skill that can be applied at any public appearance, and this was totally new territory for most participants.
