PhD Conference Joining Instructions

Portland Building
University of Portsmouth
Portland St, Portsmouth
PO1 3AH

Campus Map (see building 2 in the map)

Registration will open at 08.45.  On arrival at the Portland Building, you will be welcomed by student volunteers within the Atrium space.  Collect your badge and delegate bag.

Your delegate badge should be worn at all times.

Please note: the area in which the conference is taking place is a shared space between delegates and University of Portsmouth students and staff.  Please be mindful when in quiet spaces.

Cloakroom and Luggage Store
There will be somewhere to hang coats and leave small bags within the foyer area.  All items are left at your own risk.

Programme
View the latest conference programme here.

Portsmouth is situated on the south coast of England and is very well connected.

Air

Southampton Airport has regular flights from mainland Europe and is 70 minutes from the airport train station to Portsmouth.

London Gatwick Airport is more frequently serviced by worldwide airlines.  Trains from Gatwick’s on-site train station take passengers from Gatwick to Portsmouth in 1 hour 40 minutes.

To pre-book train tickets for the best available prices, please visit National Rail.

Train

The University of Portsmouth is situated between to main line train stations.  Portsmouth Harbour and Portsmouth & Southsea.  There are two trains an hour from London Waterloo direct to Portsmouth which takes 1 hour 32 minutes on the fastest service. To pre-book train tickets for the best available prices, please visit National Rail. or via Trainline

Car

There are car parks located in and around the city centre or at Gunwharf Queys, although parking is not low cost.

Accommodation

There are some well priced standard hotels within walking distance of the Conference venue, we would recommend:

• The Royal Maritime Hotel, Portsmouth
• Holiday Inn Express, Gunwharf Queys
• Ibis Portsmouth Centre

If you are presenting or chairing a general session, please read the following carefully. 

Chairs Notes

Please arrive to the room you’re allocated 15 minutes before the session starts.  On arrival, check your equipment and meet your fellow presenters. 

The order in which you present is available within the programme.  The last-named presenter acts as the chair.

Each general session is 1 hour 30 minutes –

• Welcome from chair and housekeeping
• First presenter 15 minutes
• Q&A – 5 minutes
• Second presenter 15 minutes
• Q&A – 5 minutes
• Third presenter – 15 minutes
• Q&A – 5 minutes
• Fourth presenter (Chair) – 15 minutes
• Q&A – 5 minutes
• Close and thanks from chair.

The chair is responsible for keeping the session to time, managing Q&A and opening/closing the session. 

Before the session starts –

• Make sure your fellow presenters know the order and time of their presentations
• Make sure everyone has their IT ready and PowerPoints loaded
• Open the RES Code of Conduct slide and have this displayed, remind everyone in the room they have a responsibility to adhere to the code 
• If there are microphones in the room, make sure that the chair and first speaker have these before the session starts
• Decide amongst yourselves if you will leave all Q&A to the end or take questions at the end of each presenter.

Opening the session –

1. Welcome the audience to the session
2. Display the code of conduct slide, reminding everyone in the room that they have a duty to adhere to the code
3. Give a quick overview of the order of play (who will speak in what order and when you will take Q&A)
4. Hand over to the first speaker
5. Keep the session to time.

Closing the session –

1. Bring the proceedings to an end
2. Thank the speakers
3. Thank the audience for their participation
4. Remind the audience of what session is next in the programme.

Equipment

Expect the following within the room you are allocated:

• A screen or monitor
• A desktop with a USB port for you to load your presentation from your memory stick/flash drive
• A PA/microphone (not all rooms)
• Chairs and tables for delegates (in various configurations).

There will not be a laptop in the room for you to use.

Room allocation

You can see the room you have been allocated in the programme. Volunteers will be on hand to assist you on the day.

(Note – room allocations may need to change up until the day of the conference)

Assistance

We have a team of student volunteers who will be on hand to help with any troubleshooting around room allocation, AV and timings.  Or do come to the registration desk to speak with the conference organising team.

Timings

Please arrive to the room you’re allocated 15 minutes before the session starts.  On arrival, set up your equipment and meet your fellow presenters. 

Certificate of attendance

If you need a certificate to prove your attendance at conference, you can collect one from the registration desk after your session.

If you are attending to present a poster, please follow the below instructions:

Participants will need to print and bring along their poster materials – these must be printed A1 portrait (Landscape will not fit). 

1. On arrival, you will see large poster boards ready in the foyer for you to set up your poster
2. Please ensure your poster is added to a board by 12.00
3. Please be ready to “staff” your board from Lunchtime at 12.30, make sure you pick up some lunch to have with you from the buffet
4. Each board is numbered
5. Use the lunchtime break to present your poster and research to the conference delegates
6. We will use the Slido app for delegates to vote for the “Best Poster in Show – The People’s Choice Award”
7. You can leave your poster up until later in the day, please remove at the close of the conference, any not removed will be recycled.

Any questions, please email Georgina Jenkins – events@res.org.uk.

We encourage all delegates, to visit the poster sessions, which will be located in the Atrium, where lunch will also be served.

Dietary requirements: If you have a dietary requirement please email events@res.org.uk as soon as possible. All lunches are buffets and will include vegetarian and vegan options. If you have other dietary requirement, such as an allergy or require a special meal, email events@res.org.uk and also make yourself know to staff at the registration desk on arrival.

Accessibility: The venue is fully accessible but if you have any issues or concerns, please visit the registration desk.

Fire safety and security: In the unlikely event of an emergency or fire, please exit via a fire door.  We understand that its unlikely there will be a fire alarm test during the conference.  

The RES have considered sustainability and the impact of the conference.

Delegate bags: items have been sourced from existing merchandise, all of which have a useful purpose and no new production was required.

Water: we ask that all delegates bring with them a refillable water bottle to use throughout the conference.  There are water refill points at the venue.

Catering: We are using recycled and/or recyclable items throughout the conference were possible to reduce waste.  

The conference is free to attend. Applications for travel refunds are now closed.

Those who applied will have received an email with the process for accessing a travel refund.

If you need anything in advance of the conference, please contact Georgina Jenkins, RES Events Manager on events@res.org.uk.  During the conference, the registration desk and RES stand will always be staffed for any queries.

Below are other RES Events and activities you might be interested in:

RES Women’s Committee Mentoring Programme 

The Royal Economic Society Women’s Committee is running its mentoring programme for early career women working/studying in academia. This includes those on both research and education tracks.

If you are a woman who is an early career academic in economics on a research, education or balanced track and would like to participate, please apply to the programme by completing the form here by 31 December 2024. 

For more information on the programme, click here.

RES Easter Training School

Our annual training school, supported by the University of Bristol and ESRC/UKRI, provides advanced training to enhance the understanding of current economic issues.  

The 2025 Easter Training School will be hosted by the University of Bristol and will be an in-person event taking place from Monday 7 April to Wednesday 9 April. 

This years theme is: Environmental Economics: Macro and Micro Perspectives

Participants can look forward to keynote lectures from:

• John Hassler, Stockholm University and IIES on The Macroeconomics of Climate Change
• Mathias Reynaert, Toulouse School of Economics on Environmental Economics and Empirical IO.

RES Doctoral Training Programme

The RES Doctoral Training Programme includes Expert Workshops on research and other skills necessary for economics PhD students, as well as Masterclasses on contemporary economics research and innovative methods. It runs on Wednesday afternoons starting in October and ending in April each academic year. The majority of sessions will be virtual with the RES Easter Training School delivered in person.