Do you want to organise an event to share knowledge, bring people together or provide insights? Then the terms congress, symposium, conference and seminar are flying around your ears. But which is which? And what are the differences between these four? They are very similar, but not the same. Which type of meeting are you going to organise? We list everything for you.
Congress
Large, formal and people from a specific industry or field. That typifies a congress. Knowledge sharing is central here. Fixed elements during a congress are usually presentations, workshops, keynotes and a networking moment. The days are well filled with a plenary opening and closing, various sessions and networking breaks.
Characteristics of a congress:
- Large format: hundreds to thousands of participants
- Multiple speakers and partial sessions
- Networking is an essential part
- Often recurs regularly (annually)
Do you want to bring professionals from an industry together to discuss trends, innovations or developments with each other? Then a conference is ideal.
Symposium
Relatively small-scale and academic. These are the characteristics of a symposium as far as we are concerned. A symposium is usually organised around a specific theme or topic. For example, the latest developments in an important study on cancer or innovations in sustainable energy. The focus at a symposium is on scientific insights and their deepening.
Characteristics of a symposium:
- Smaller format: tens to a hundred(s) of participants
- One central theme or subject area
- Few or no parallel sessions
- Depth of content is an important element
Universities, research institutes or knowledge centres often organise a symposium.
Conference
We sometimes affectionately call it the 'brother' or 'sister' of a congress: the conference. Yet there are differences. The size, for example. A conference is somewhat smaller and focuses more on interaction and discussion. A congress is about transferring knowledge, a conference more about exchanging ideas. Panels, round table discussions and interactive debates, for instance, are not uncommon at a conference.
Characteristics of a conference:
- Medium-sized set-up: tens to hundreds of participants
- More focus on interaction and cooperation
- Discussions and panels are important parts
- Usually provided with a fixed theme
Do you mainly want to engage with each other rather than just listen to presentis and keynotes? Then a conference is suitable.
What is a seminar?
Another way of sharing knowledge is a seminar. It is relatively small and quite interactive. Learning and development is an important part. Usually a seminar has a workshop-like character. Here, an expert or speaker goes into depth with a group of participants to then arrive at insights. The focus here is on questioning, inspiring and starting discussions.
Characteristics of a seminar:
- Small groups: usually up to dozens of participants
- Lots of interaction between speaker and audience
- Focus on learning and practical knowledge
- Relatively short: usually a half-day event
Do you want to actively involve participants in the event? And also convey knowledge they can immediately apply in their professional or personal lives? Then a seminar is very suitable.
Difference between congress, symposium, conference and seminar
We get it, the difference between a congress, symposium, conference and seminar is hard to tell. They are all aimed at sharing knowledge. In summary, the biggest differences are in the scale and depth of the subject matter.
- A conference is larger, often with multiple sessions and different topics
- A symposium is somewhat smaller. Usually with a focus on a specific theme and a scientific nature.
- A conference is similar to a congress but on a smaller scale. It is a lot about exchanging ideas and working together.
- A seminar is smaller in scale and quite interactive. There is a lot of room to talk to each other and learn from each other.
Briefly:
- Do you want to reach a lot of people with a broad programme? → Then choose a congress.
- Want to exchange ideas and insights in smaller groups? → Organise a conference.
- Want to go in-depth on one topic? → Choose a symposium.
- Do you want to convey practical knowledge with lots of interaction? → Then a seminar is your format.
Webinars
It falls a little outside the box, but it also has imparting knowledge as its main element... a webinar. The name is the traitor in the story: a webinar is the online version of a seminar. Here, participants follow the meeting remotely - namely from behind a screen - usually via a live stream.
What type of event do you choose?
Depending on your purpose, the participants and what interaction you want, you choose your format. So ask yourself: do you want to reach many people with different topics? Several days? Or do you opt for a small-scale gathering that goes into depth?
But don't worry too much about the terms. If you give your event the wrong label, no one will fall for it. As long as you focus on the content and a good event location, it really doesn't matter whether you call it a congress, symposium, conference or seminar.
