IOC includes a variety of ways to connect with and learn from colleagues. Each day of the conference features several live online sessions during which you interact with panelists and peers. All sessions are recorded and posted immediately for those who cannot attend live. Asynchronous discussion forums and resource sharing areas — for the collaborative collection of practical teaching ideas, links, handouts and learning objects — are a vital part of this very community-oriented event. The emphasis during IOC is on sharing, networking and generating a universe of ideas that everyone can use immediately in their practice.

The IOC was created seven years ago to bring together a community of education and training professionals at all levels – from classroom instructors, to instructional designers and technology support staff, media specialists, librarians, academic administrators, and professional development trainers. This year’s program promises to deliver yet again with timely topics and engaging speakers sure to have an immediate impact on the work you do every day.

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- Find out if the presenter is sponsored by a publisher. If they are, they’re probably selling you a book.

- If someone is presenting research they’ve conducted, it will be very, very boring. You have been warned and only have yourself to blame.

- Plan on attending a workshop at least one in every two sessions. Time tends to pass quicker and you generally come away with something you can use in class.

- People from the most exotic locations give the crappest sessions. I have no idea why this is.

- Jeremy Harmer is quite entertaining, as is Scott Thornbury. Hugh Dellar, despite his ‘Innovations’ being worth a mere 67.1% by ELT Journal is another who has the whole presentation thing down to a fine art, as is Michael Swan.

- I avoid ‘conference dinners’ like the plague so can’t comment, but can suggest that avoiding them like the plague has always done me fine.

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Please add any advice to this list below. Also read forum legend Golightly’s account of attending a conference in Issue 2 of the ELT World Journal.

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