I am presenting at conference this week which is within my discipline, but outside of my focal region. I am torn between reading a paper and presenting some straightforward data, or having a bit more fun.
My paper is part of a larger symposium which looks to be pretty dynamic, and I am grateful for the invite, but really feel that my data (monte carlo computer modeling of random walks, so there is a lot of animation, graphs, and maps) can be presented better with a casual and informal approach.
I write, in part, because I went with the dry formal route at the last conference and it really did not go over well.
I work full-time in an industry related to my graduate work, so making a good impression is key for my professional development. One of the conference organizers is a professor with whom I would like to work with in the future in my academic work; as I understand it, he prefers less formal presentations.
This is compounded by the the fact that I do not see the people in my Department all that often. I travel for work a couple weeks a month and have limited opportunities to engage with professors and other students.
Who has some sage advice?
