Conference Quality Metrics

Back when I was a frequent flier I used to rate conferences based on the following criteria.

• Did sessions begin and end on schedule? Yes or No.
• In the sessions that you attended, what percentage of the presentations listed in the final program actually happened?
• If you submitted a paper, was feedback from the session chair clear and reliable? Yes or No.
• How many times were you left twiddling your thumbs because of a projector problem?

You will note in particular that the acceptance rate of the conference is not on the list.

More cynically, I would rate the venue based on minimal standards of comfort as well as the availability of food and coffee. I have a peeve against hotels that let the coffee run out and/or that whisk everything away promptly at the end of the scheduled break. To deprive me of coffee because a poorly organized session ran 15 minutes past its end time is to add insult to injury.

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