Going to a nutrition conference isn’t mandatory, but it can build your network and help you discover the kind of work you want to do as a dietitian.
What Nutrition Conference Should You Go To?
Going to a clinical nutrition conference at least once in your career as a dietitian isn’t mandatory.
But it could be a great place to start building some of the relationships that will stick with you throughout your nutrition career, and learn more about the kind of work you really want to be doing as an RD.
And luckily, you’ve got a lot of options.
In this post, we’re going to look at each one of them and talk about which might be the best fit for you.
What is a nutrition conference?
A nutrition conference is an event run by an organization that provides educational and networking opportunities for dietitians.
Pretty straightforward.
But in the world of nutrition conferences, you have a selection of different options. And each option fits a different personality and will provide you different benefits.
Some are large-scale conferences hosted by national organizations.
These are usually either broadly themed or simply focus on the organization’s primary objective like diabetes or kidney health.
They’re usually in-person events that require you to register, provide your own transportation to get to the venue, and find housing for the duration of the conference.
This can make them pricier to attend. But they try to make up for the cost with a massive amount of sponsors, freebies and giveaways, presentations and CEUs, and breakaway networking opportunities.
Depending on the organization, you’ll find nutrition conferences with a focus on clinical nutrition, along with many other topics.
Then there are the smaller conference-like events for dietitians.
These events are put on by either individual RDs or small dietitian-run organizations.
They’ll usually have a much more specific theme or event learning objective that will give you a very good idea of the kind of learning and networking you’ll be able to do.
Some will be virtual one or two-day events which makes them much more affordable.
Others are very small meet-ups that can feel like intimate happy hours or nutrition learning experiences.
There are pros and cons to each type of event.
And which one you ultimately decide to go to, is a personal decision. Nothing is one-size-fits-all.
There are some dietitians who prioritize the smaller events each year, choosing never to attend the large conferences.
And depending on the way you like to connect with others, each one can either hype you up or drain you out.
If you’ve been thinking about going to your first conference and are wondering what that first one should be, keep reading.
This post will breakdown each type of conference and give you an idea what you can expect to get from each experience.
Let’s get into it.
National Organization Nutrition and Health Conferences
A nutrition conference hosted by national organizations are big.
Really big.
Because these groups have thousands of members, they plan their conferences knowing they’ll be hosting an incredibly large number of people. And because of that, their conferences are always annual events.
You’ve probably heard of FNCE.
It’s the biggest nutrition conference run specifically for dietitians and is hosted by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. It’s also the conference you’ve probably been told you should go to as a new RD.
And if there’s one conference that would be considered entry-level, it would be this one.
It’s designed to be friendly to all levels of dietitians and encourages opportunities for students to connect with a more seasoned group of RDs.
But it’s definitely not your only choice. And it’s not necessarily your best choice.
Another very popular and very big annual nutrition conference is the Spring Symposium held by Today’s Dietitian.
Similar in size and also specifically geared towards dietitians, this conference can have a great lineup of speakers and presentations that can by quite niche. There’s a lot of learning that happens here, which makes it a really great option for dietitians with any level of experience.
But there are other health organizations that host similar events that dietitians regularly attend.
Think:
- ADCES Diabetes Conference run by the Association for Diabetes Care and Education Specialists
- ASPEN’s annual conference by American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition for those interested in the ICU or becoming a CNSC
- International Conference on Food, Nutrition, Health, and Lifestyle that’s held annually around the world
And that’s just the start. Check out a list of all the upcoming conferences here.
You’ll probably find something amazing that suddenly gets you interested.
Big conferences tend to be fairly intense.
This can make them equal parts useful, overwhelming, and intimidating.
Especially for folks who feel overwhelmed in large settings or get easily burnt out when dealing with a lot of people.
What they’re good for:
These events host thousands of people from across the healthcare industry, opening up your opportunities to network and connect with those doing the kind of work you want to do, very high.
- Meeting people outside of your current physical location
- Connecting with RDs a number of steps ahead in their career
- Expanding your knowledge base
- Figuring out what your options are as you’re deciding what kind of dietitian you want to be
Who they’re good for:
Because these are so large, there are a few reasons these might be a good fit for what you need right now. No matter if you’re an introvert or extrovert.
- Anyone looking to get lost in a crowd and be anonymous
- Anyone who likes to work a room, have lots of varying people to connect with
- Anyone who is willing to chat with someone they bump into in the hall or happen to be sitting next to in a presentation
Networking during big conferences are best for people who are:
Big clinical nutrition conferences have a lot of pros and cons. They aren’t for everyone, but they do fulfill very specific purposes very well.
- Willing to step out of their comfort zone
- Feel comfortable with having conversations with people they don’t know
- Are looking to dramatically expand their network
- Need a large amount of CEUs in a very short amount of time
When you’re considering a way to max out your financial and time investment, big conferences can be a great fit.
And with all the ones to choose from, it’s easy to find something you might really love.
Small Nutrition Conferences and Other Events
These smaller events are hosted by dietitian-run organizations, small businesses, and even RD meet-up groups.
And they can be amazing.
These in-person events are often run by local AND organizations.
And they’re small enough so they’re not completely overwhelming.
And if you’re the kind of person who has a hard time managing a lot of new faces all at once, these could be a great fit for you.
They’re also usually filled with a lot of other solo RDs looking for connections in the same way you are.
RD-run mini meet-ups might look more like happy hours or casual dinners than even the more structured versions of the local AND small nutrition events.
But don’t underestimate these tiny events.
They’re often hosted with very specific conversions in mind and take advantage of the very small group to ensure that connections are made with everyone in the room.
And because they’re also local events, you’re going to meet other dietitians who probably live pretty close to you.
You never know who’s going to attend, what job they just heard about, or what kind of work they’ve been doing for the last few years that they’d love to talk to you about.
You might just end up having a conversation that changes your entire career.
What they’re good for:
Smaller events are usually very local and attract a diverse group of dietitians who are all looking for very similar things from their time.
- Meeting people in the same geographic area as you
- Connecting with RDs who are into the same things as you or are around the same place in their career
- Learning about work opportunities
- Having longer, more in depth or personal conversations with those you meet
Who they’re good for:
There’s no one type of person who attends these. But for some people, these smaller events can be a much more relaxed way of making connections in nutrition.
- People who prefer more intimate environments
- Those looking to meet other dietitians in real-life
- Collaboration opportunities
Connecting during smaller in-person events are best for people who are:
Maybe you’re an introvert, maybe you just get overwhelmed in big crowds.
- More comfortable when someone strikes up a conversation with them instead of being responsible for approaching strangers in a big crowd
- Prefer a more casual environment that might include icebreakers or name tags
- Are looking for RDs at the same place in their career they can connect with in person
- Better suited for small group activities with more opportunities for 1:1 conversations
Smaller events give you a great chance to develop stronger connections with those you just meet.
Which means there’s always a good possibility that those same people will be some of the people you end up collaborating and networking with over the course of your career.
Instead of having multiple events happening at the same time over multiple days, these smaller events focus on singular activities with a tight group who are all there for the same reason.
They’re designed to give the small group of dietitians who attend a chance to chat together, get to know each other, and walk away knowing a few RDs who are on the same page as you.
You’ll find that longer conversations and those pick-your-brain type questions are really welcomed because most of these events are full of other RDs who want to connect.
They want to collaborate.
They want to learn about who you are, what you do, and where you want to go.
And they’re ready to share the same about them.
Check out these smaller events by:
Virtual Nutrition Conferences
Somewhere between the chaos and huge possibilities of the big conferences, and the intimate and intensely valuable connections you can make in the small in-person events lies the virtual event.
Hosted by RDs who run small businesses, these small clinical nutrition conferences are usually called symposiums and summits.
Instead of being broad like the large nutrition conferences and more flexible like the small group meet-ups, these summits and symposiums usually have very specific topics and provide very specific learning opportunities.
Because of that, you’ll be exposed to a lot of dietitians who are doing very specific kind of work in these areas. Or have specific insight that has come from the kind of work experiences they’ve had during their careers.
Plus, you can’t forget the added flexibility of attending mid-workday and not having to commute to attend.
What they’re good for:
If being anonymous is for you, you’ll love virtual summits. You’ll be able to gather all the information you want and decide later who you want to follow or reach out to.
- Gathering information quickly and passively
- Hearing RDs with specialties present on their specific niches
- Discovering the kind of work available to RDs
- Exposure to a wider variety of dietitians who excel in their practices
Who they’re good for:
These are low-pressure events with no requirement for you to show your face or have a chance encounter with anyone who starts peppering you with questions in a hallway between presentations.
- Anyone with social anxiety or difficulty not knowing anyone in the room
- No pressure to talk about yourself or work one-on-one with those you don’t know
- Someone who prefers to ask questions, request information, or participate anonymously
Virtual events is best for people who are:
- More interested in collecting information or learning the names of those they can follow online
- Not yet ready to have full conversations and prefer to only have their questions answered
- Still working out what you’re most interested in
- Anyone not ready to spend a lot of money for access to a larger number of dietitians
Take advantage of these.
If you’re not the speak-in-public type, take note of those RDs who DO speak up along with those who presented in a way that really resonated with you.
When you have a question, drop it into the chat.
Worst case scenario, it doesn’t get answered and now you have a great reason to send the presenter an email or DM and ask your question.
Not only will you probably get a great answer, you’ll start a relationship with a dietitian who’s in a place a few steps ahead of you. And that’s always a great thing.
After the event, reach out with a complement specific to the event before you dive into a question or favor.
How to make the most of all of these events?
The best advice here is to have a plan.
Know exactly what you want to get out of the conference you decide to attend. And then have a plan to get it.
Is there something you’re looking to learn or someone specific you want to hear speak?
Is there a dietitian you’re looking to meet?
Maybe you want to build your own business and there are a few RDs attending who have the kind of company you want to run.
Maybe you’ve been thinking about a certain niche and you know there’s a presentation on that with a breakout session hosted by the presenting RD.
No matter what your objective is, the goal isn’t to corner your RD Insta-crush hoping they’ll drop everything and do impromptu free training with you.
A better plan would be to arrive with a clear sense of the dietitian or the kind of dietitian you want to meet.
And then come with a few specific questions you’d like answered.
Skip questions like:
- Can I pick your brain for a while? or
- Can you send me things to help me out?
Both of these sound like you’re asking an RD who paid to attend a conference to do unpaid work.
And even if you get a yes, it’s likely not going to illicit the same kind of support or long-term connection as other types of questions.
The goal is to present yourself as a curious asset.
Someone who respects the time, knowledge, and ability to be supportive that the person you’re chatting with has developed over the years.
This is especially true when you’re attending large conferences where there are a ton of people, many events, and a whole lot of opportunities around every corner.
Instead try questions like:
- Do you have any recommendations about where I can start?
- Do you have any tips for learning this thing?
- Would you mind if we kept in touch or if I reached out after the conference?
- Are there any websites or references that you’d recommend?
- When you were starting out, was there anything you remember being really helpful or anything you’d say to avoid?
- Do you mind if I email you one day if I have any other questions?
Stick to questions that have quick and immediate answers that you can then use to do your own proactive research.
Even if that includes a follow-up with your new contact down the road.
Don’t expect a 30-minute conversation to manifest with everyone you meet.
It might.
But the expectation can turn something pleasant and interesting into something that suddenly feels like work or an interview.
A 5 or 10-minute chat can be much more useful and leave a stronger impression on both of you.
And That’s It!
Which event will you go to?
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