Conference and Seminar are two different terms for a large gathering of people.
Both conferences and seminars are held to share a mutual interest among the partakers.
Key Takeaways
- A conference is a large-scale event that brings together professionals or experts in a specific field to share knowledge, discuss ideas, and network, often featuring multiple sessions and speakers.
- A seminar is a smaller, more focused event, usually involving a single speaker or a small panel, intended to teach, inform, or discuss a specific topic in-depth.
- Conferences are large gatherings with multiple sessions, while seminars are smaller and more focused on a single subject or theme.
Conference vs Seminar
The difference between a Conference and a seminar is that a conference is a consultative forum where people gather to discuss issues of mutual interest and try to find a solution. A seminar is an academic forum that helps the students gain knowledge and guides them in their subject matters.
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A Conference is a formal congregation where people talk about specific topics.
In a conference, people exchange visionary ideas and current information.
A Seminar is an academic congregation where attendees are bestowed with knowledge, guidance or training concerning the subject matter.
There could be several goals or just one behind a seminar.
Comparison Table
| Parameter of Comparison | Conference | Seminar |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | A substantial formal congregation or consultative meeting. | An institutional event or academic meeting. |
| Session | It is consultative. | It is interactive. |
| Objective | To obtain an opinion or conclusion for an issue. | To educate the participants, communicate and mentor them. |
| Time | Several days | Few hours |
| Audience | Exclusive participants | Active participants |
| Type of work | Demonstration and exchange of perspectives. | Demonstration of subject matter and conversation takes place. |
What is Conference?
A conference can be defined as a vast congregation or formal meeting of people at a specific place who communicate on a particular topic of mutual interest.
New productive ideas and information are communicated among the experts in a conference.
In most conferences, one or additional eminent speakers provide a keynote speech.
These are very familiar with the academic and business conference.
The speaker is a distinguished personality whose existence at the conference captivates more participants.
The conference is an organized meeting held for consultation and information exchange, with a specific agenda to administer.
The conference draws those people together who share a mutual interest in the topic that will be discussed.
It is a form of participatory congregation organized to discuss a matter, find evidence or figure out a problem.
The conference usually prolongs for a few days.
Purpose of the conference:
- An academic conference is a congregation of students and academicians who demonstrate their subject matter, impart knowledge and skills and discuss the subject.
- A business conference is held when a company or industry has a congregation for the people working in the company to discuss new ideas.
- A trade conference is carried out on a larger scale. Besides business people, the public who came to the vendor system and made new connections also participated in this conference.
- An unconference varies from a formal conference. Participants gather and decide the agenda, time and venues of this conference. They chose the topic of their interest.
Various types of conferences are:
- Symposium: It is a congregation organized to present papers and discuss issues on a particular course of action by some experts.
- Seminar: A specific topic or subject matter is discussed. It is an academic meeting that aims to give modern skills and knowledge.
- Workshop: It is a small gathering where theoretical discussion and practical works or demonstrations occur.
What is Seminar?
The seminar is an academic forum held either at an educational institution or proposed by a commercial or skilled organization.
It has the purpose of generating a small group of gathering on recurring discussions, pointing each time to some specific content, in which everyone present is asked to participate and be involved in conversations about the related matter.
The sessions in a seminar usually preside over one or additional presenters who assist in navigating the discussion along with the desired direction.
A seminar may be for the motive of instruction, such as speech, where the participants commit to the discussion of academic topics with the goal of attaining a better understanding of the topic.
The academic seminar might be held to impart some mastery and conception to the participants.
Purpose of the seminar:
- A seminar is held to motivate people. The aim is usually to encourage the participants to become better individuals or to work towards carrying out the talents they might have acquired from the seminar. Seminar occurrences are usually more educational and primarily geared towards academic issues featuring one or additional professionals on the subject matter.
- The seminar encourages participants to participate in the discussion actively, ask questions and express their opinions.
- Seminar delivers a platform to share and explore ideas and gives confidence to the participants.
Types of the seminar:
- Mini seminar: Its content and scope are minor and reasonable. An elegant amount of participants takes part in the seminar. Mini seminar motivates the students on questioning technique, organizing the information and demonstration skills of seminars.
- Major seminar: The seminar executed at an institutional level for a specific subject is known as a major seminar.
- National seminar: An organization of any kind, especially with an academic interest or an institution, conducts the seminar at the National level is called National seminar.
- International seminar: Seminar performed by an international institution or medium is known as an International seminar.
A book can have many categories under it, and they range from textbooks to fiction and nonfiction, and even instruction manuals and guidebooks.
Main Differences Between Conference and Seminar
- The conference is a consultative forum, whereas the seminar is an academic forum.
- The main objective of the conference is to obtain an understanding and explanation for an issue.
- The conference is limited to limited participants who exchange ideas, whereas the seminar is an active participation session.
- Consultative sessions occur at the conference, and interactive sessions occur at the seminar.
- The conference is conducted through demonstration, and viewpoints are exchanged among the experts, whereas the students’ presentation, discussion and guidance take place in the seminar.
- https://evenues.com/event-planning-guide/what-is-a-seminar
- https://evenues.com/event-planning-guide/what-is-a-conference
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
