Why I Attend Small Conferences by Kevin Brown, from Inside Higher Ed has some really good points.
First, I actually get to interact with peers from colleges and universities that are more like mine.
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I am able to receive encouragement, support, and constructive criticism on the papers I present. There are too many horror stories of young professors and even graduate students who have been flayed by the questioning at national conferences.
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smaller conferences offer opportunities for leadership that national conferences often do not.
One thing I like about the small conferences is that you can get to know people. This allows more collaboration and more contact across schools. That’s a blessing to us and to our students.