OdysseyLC

Seminar / Conference / Symposium / Convention

1. Seminar - a conference or other meeting for discussion or training.

The purpose of a seminar is for the attendees to learn something. Mutual fund companies in Taiwan, such as Fidelity, frequently host “free” seminars that educate investors about certain topics, such as asset allocation or retirement planning.

2. Conference -a formal meeting that typically takes place over a number of days and involves people with a shared interest, esp. one held regularly by an association or organization

While seminars are meant to educate, the purpose of a conference is to *share* information. For example, a doctor or researcher attends a conference to present his findings

3. Symposium - a conference or meeting to discuss a particular subject.

The word symposiums tend to be used in an academic setting, e. g. “International symposium on online journalism”.

4. Convention - a large meeting or conference, esp. of members of a political party or a particular profession : a convention of retail merchants.

While a convention sounds very much like a conference, the major difference is that a lot of selling takes place in a convention. The annual Comdex in Taiwan, for instance, is a place for vendors to not only show off their latest technology, but a perfect place for selling their goods.

With our impending grand opening, which will take place as soon as the Ghost Month is over, it is the perfect time to launch our blog. Mostly, we will use this space to answer our students’ questions about the ever-confusing English language. Many of our posts will deal with the subtle differences between/among certain words, e. g. ” Seminar vs. Conference vs. Symposium vs. Convention”.

We encourage you to post your questions by leaving a feedback on any of our posts, or send a email to us at info@odysseylc.com. You may, of course, post your question in Mandarin. Your question will be thoroughly researched and answered. And don’t worry, your identity will be kept safe!