Preparing for your
first international conference.

An eight-week plan

1. Eight weeks before. Confirm your country and committee. Read the background guide twice and write down your questions.
2. Six weeks before. Research your country’s position, past votes, and likely allies. Collect your sources in one place.
3. Four weeks before. Write and submit your position paper. Check the deadline early; some conferences set it weeks ahead.
4. Three weeks before. Write your opening speech and two or three short speeches on likely sub-topics.
5. Two weeks before. Practice with classmates: a mock moderated caucus and a short working paper.
6. One week before. Print your papers, check your travel documents, and pack.
7. The day before. Review your notes once, then rest.

Read our guides to position papers, opening speeches, and rules of procedure as you work through the plan.

What to pack

• Formal business attire for every committee day (check the dress code), and comfortable shoes
• Passport and any visa documents, with copies kept separately
• Printed position paper, speeches, and a one-page research summary
• Laptop or tablet, charger, and a plug adapter for the destination
• A notepad and pens for notes and drafting clauses
• A refillable water bottle and small snacks
• Any medication, with a copy of the prescription

What happens each day

• Opening ceremony. Welcome speeches, often a guest speaker, and the official start of the conference.
• Committee sessions. Most of each day, with breaks for lunch. Expect long, focused hours.
• Lobbying. In unmoderated caucuses, find delegations with similar positions and start a working paper together.
• Social and cultural events. Many conferences host an evening event, a good time to make friends across borders.
• Closing ceremony. Committees share their outcomes, and awards are often announced.

How to stand out in committee

• Speak early. Add your country to the speakers’ list on the first day.
• Stay in character. Keep every speech and clause consistent with your country’s policy.
• Collaborate. Write clauses, help merge working papers, and bring quieter delegates in.
• Listen. Refer to other delegations’ ideas by country; it shows you are building agreement.
• Disagree diplomatically. Challenge ideas, never people.

Award criteria differ between conferences, but chairs commonly look for research, diplomacy, leadership, and real contributions to resolutions.

For parents and families

Before an international conference, it helps to know:

• Who supervises the students, and how to reach them at any time
• The full itinerary, including travel times and free time
• Where students will stay, and the arrangements for meals
• The plans for health, insurance, and emergencies

On Edvisors conference trips, supervisors and facilitators travel with the students from departure to return. See how our conference trips work.

Look after yourself

Conference days are long and exciting. Sleep well, drink water, eat proper meals, and step outside during breaks. Feeling nervous before your first speech is completely normal: every confident delegate started exactly there.