In order to explain the difference thoroughly, I will include some other words that have similar meanings.
I will explain the difference between BRIEFING, CONFERENCE, CONVENTION, SEMINAR and CONGRESS.
These words are often confused amongst English learners, especially as some of them may appear as synonyms in a thesaurus!
They are all different types of meetings, which traditionally, would be held in person, but in today’s world, it would be possible to hold an international conference online. Although in general and where possible, they are held face to face.
BRIEFING
A briefing is a type of meeting where the attendees receive information on a particular subject or a procedure. They are simply given data and are expected to understand and take the new information on board. They may be able to ask questions at the end, but this would only be to ensure their understanding of the brief in question. Please note that the word ‘briefing’ derives from ‘brief’ the noun, which is a set of instructions given to a person about a specific job or task. This is also linked to the verb ‘to brief’, which means to instruct or inform someone thoroughly.
They may be able to ask questions at the end, but this would only be to ensure their understanding of the brief in question. Please note that the word ‘briefing’ derives from ‘brief’ the noun, which is a set of instructions given to a person about a specific job or task. This is also linked to the verb ‘to brief’, which means to instruct or inform someone thoroughly.
CONFERENCE
A conference is a participatory meeting, which is generally designed for discussion, problem solving, fact-finding and consultation. Conferences are usually limited in duration and tend to have specific objectives, they refer to seminars or symposiums.
As the word suggests, this is a type of meeting where people ‘confer’ about a topic, and the speakers would generally be selected before the meeting takes place. There are many different types of conferences, they would all have the same concept but would be arranged to discuss topics in different situations. For example, an academic conference would be where researchers present results, hold workshops or do presentations. Other examples include business conferences, news conferences, settlement conferences, or sports conferences. Conferences are most commonly held in academic, news and information exchange situations, and generally, they have a formal programme with various speakers. These types of meetings would usually be organised by one person or representative.
Other examples include business conferences, news conferences, settlement conferences, or sports conferences. Conferences are most commonly held in academic, news and information exchange situations, and generally, they have a formal programme with various speakers. These types of meetings would usually be organised by one person or representative.
CONVENTION
As opposed to a conference where only a select few people may be invited to talk, conventions are usually organised by a group, union or party, and encourage all attendees to participate and speak their mind. This type of meeting could be defined as a gathering of people, which is ‘convened’ to enable people to voice their opinions.
These are usually held by a large group of people who have a common interest, or an assembly of leaders such as a political convention organised by any particular party, a national convention organised by a country or nation.
Conventions are generally political meetings. They do not have reading sessions, and tend to encourage the participants to interact and discuss. These types of meetings would usually be organised by a society, organisation, or club, rather than an individual.
CONGRESS
This type of meeting would be similar to a convention, but would refer to a regular coming together on a representational basis. The attendees would generally belong to a single professional, cultural, religious or political group. A congress is often convened to discuss specific matters, and generally, contributions would only come from members of the organising body.
SEMINAR
Seminars are generally quite limited in size, so much smaller than conventions for comparison’s sake. There is generally a great deal of discussion and interaction amongst participants, therefore the format would be quite similar to a convention. Although, due to its reduced size, the discussion may go wherever the group takes it, whereas this may not be as straightforward in a convention, where hundreds of people may be present.
I hope this helps you to understand the difference between these types of meetings!
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