Dear @Asmat, you have already got good responses. I will attach you two links on how to give good professional seminar- 1st link, and an article on How to run a successful seminar- link 2. "Seminars are not simply about learning in a given subject discipline they are also about learning to learn. All participants bear some share of responsibility for the success of the individual session but the tutor has a particular responsibility to structure the seminar in such a way as to enable participation!"

http://www.esg.montana.edu/biol525/wolff.pdf

http://www.wlv.ac.uk/default.aspx?page=26464

Dear Asmat:

Seminars create opportunities to:

Explore topics in more depth;

Share ideas in a way that will advance your thinking;

Learn from other people's experiences and background knowledge;

Gain perspectives and points of view that you might not have otherwise considered;

Identify and sort out any misunderstandings.

Opportunity to clarify and deepen your understanding and increase your confidence in the topics studied.

A comfortable environment in which to practice and develop a range of valuable study skills and transferable skills.

Ideal chance to build a up network of peer support.

Dear @Asmat, a seminar can be made successful by inviting experts to it.

@Sribas Goswami,

Thanks for being the first to help out with a very good answer.

@Abedallah M Rababah,

Thanks for contributing. Are invited speakers/experts paid by the host organization?

@Aftab Alam Sthanadar 

I agree, it projects the image of an Institute and further prominently high lights certain issues and areas of study to others, to come forward and contribute further.

What actually you mean by, proper participation and contribution? Please elaborate bit further.

All participants of a seminar bear responsibility for the success of the individual session but the organizer has a particular responsibility to structure the seminar in such a way as to enable effective participation.

The title of the seminar is the element that attracts participants, so the seminar should be eye-catching and interesting. Offer ways to advance or know what can be done differently so expected participants see a value added in spending their time participating the seminar.

One of the most important elements in running a successful seminar is the personal approach of the leader; the leader's attitude can affect the dynamics of the group and, consequently, the level and quality of participation. You may recall from your own undergraduate experience that the best seminars or tutorials were the ones lead by an interested and spirited teaching assistant.

For more details about the successful seminar you may refer to the following link.

http://www.chashcacommittees-comitesa.ca/gsc-ced/en/taguide/2-3-Seminar.shtml

above all.... "Appreciate and motivate other's Participation & Contribution"

I believe it should be so focused and delivered by the right person.

Dear Asmat

The main purpose of a conference is to bring experts in the related area as well as budding researchers to share the space so that they will be able to share the ideas, information and build network for future research and other endeavors. To best accomplish this the organizers should ensure

1. The communication is sent to the researchers around the globe in that particular area of interest and make sure that sufficient number of them follow.

2. Provide preconference workshops on topics related to the subject so that the new researchers will be ready with enough background to appreciate the advanced topics presented through the research papers.

3. Provide appropriately selected keynote addresses that provide the state of art in the areas that will be of interest to most of the participants.

4. Select and screen papers that have good merit and provides a total spectrum of areas to allow for wider participation.

5. Try to bring industrial participants in larger numbers so that a balanced view of research and practice will be presented.

6. Lastly make it reasonable in terms of costs so that people will be able to participate.

Dear Asmat

Generally experts called to deliver keynote presentation should have sufficient stature in the community. It is normal practice to provide local hospitality and no remuneration. We generally present a plaque to commemorate the presentation which is a symbolic presentation and not any monetary compensation.

Dear @Asmat, you have already got good responses. I will attach you two links on how to give good professional seminar- 1st link, and an article on How to run a successful seminar- link 2. "Seminars are not simply about learning in a given subject discipline they are also about learning to learn. All participants bear some share of responsibility for the success of the individual session but the tutor has a particular responsibility to structure the seminar in such a way as to enable participation!"

http://www.esg.montana.edu/biol525/wolff.pdf

http://www.wlv.ac.uk/default.aspx?page=26464

Respected Dr. Rao,

I contacted some foreign SDI experts and invited them to attend a seminar in Pakistan but I was very much disappointed to listen from them. I was asked  to arrange funding for their travel & stay. That's why I posted this thread to clear my doubts and to get expert opinion and help on the subject.

@Aftab Alam Sthanadar, @Ljubomir Jacić

Thanks for contributing with really practical and nice suggestions.

A respected keynote speaker who is eloquent and captures audience interest is a main prerequisite for a successful seminar.  But the presence of another expert who can stimulate that speaker in discussion and can involve the entire audience in the debate is another prerequisite for success.

I agree with @ Nelson and others that first of all, you need respected speakers who will provide the participants with relevant information to their field and have good presentation skills.

The number of participants turning up for a seminar is highly dependent on How the organizers inform the participants. it is a good practice to advertize well in advance and schedule the seminar at a proper time so that all professors and graduate students can attend. Be sure to allow enough time in the schedule for Q/A.

Larger events require a good team of people handling tasks on registration, setting up the presentations, ...

For larger events you can have feedback forms to determine the satisfaction level of all participants. These feedbacks will help for the next seminar!.

@Nelson Orringer,

Thanks for joining. I think keynote speakers are more than two?

@Behrouz Ahmadi-Nedushan

I appreciate your detailed reply. Should  Q/A session be joint or it should be at the end of each individual's presentation?

Respected Prof. Kamal,

What really makes a seminar brain storming session?

There can be  many different types of seminars: internal, national, international, one day, two day, half day. Then, it may involve expert presentation on the topic, or a paper presentation open to anyone and everyone. In the latter case you should have received a good number of papers, that you should get refereed  if you want to make it a quality seminar. Often there are  poor papers in seminars as everyone and anyone is allowed to make a presentation without having the papers reviewed. So the purpose of the seminar is very important.

You should have the funds to bear the expenses; have a good number of people to help facilitate the logistics; depending upon the stature of the speakers you may have to decide the hospitality required to be provided to the speakers (e.g in India, that is expected). 

Dear Asmat

I can understand your disappointment with the foreign speakers. It often happens. One bad speaker can spoil the whole seminar. What is the lesson learned: Never invite anyone to be a speaker unless you are very sure about the competence of the person for the occasion.

I once received a mail from the Director of the India office of an American organization which wanted me to be a speaker in a conference in Los Angles. But she  humbly put a condition that I would give  an opportunity to her to hear me speak before she finalizes my name. Within next same days  I was invited by a company to speak their managers in my city. I wrote to her that she could come and judge me. She traveled 1500 kilometers one way from Mumbai to Delhi to hear me there, and then only gave me the final invitation. I do not know how many people and organizations would do that to finalize a speaker. 

Dear Asmat,

A seminar, if well-planned, can all center around ONE keynote speaker. His speech can touch on some aspect of all the speakers' papers. His eloquent delivery and the breadth of his speech will guarantee success to the seminar. A Q/A session should ideally follow each presentation, unless time does not permit. In that case, let a Q/A session follow the  keynote speech, and combine Q/A sessions of several groups of papers. The most successful seminar I ever attended took place in December 2012 on Spanish and Latin American music and extended over 2 and one half days at the Conservatorium of Music at the University of Melbourne (Australia).  It had only one very excellent keynote speaker and four sessions each day of very high quality papers.

Dear Debi,

In the future, to avoid traveling 1500 km. to hear you speak, tell your American colleagues to listen and see you speak on Skype. That should be enough to judge your elocutionary abilities.

Dear Aftab,

Your desired resource person was also a "prima donna." No researcher is worth that much. He might have ruined your seminar with his egocentric attitude.

Dear Nelson, Thanks; but that was in 2006; I barely knew operating a computer. I did not know what was Skype.  My younger son, who was 18 year old, one day commented: "Dad, do you know, you are the most ignorant man on the earth." He said so due to my inadequate knowledge about how to handle a computer. yes, you are right. Now I have some videos on You tube. i can do that now. 

The seminar is a place where we can share our knowledge and correct them ,and this is an opportunity to meet different Researchers but you have to be responsible consciant and not just for a holiday

Dear Debi,

I like your idea to listen to speaker prior to sending invitation. I appreciate listening via Skype as recommended by @Nelson Orringer.   

For making any seminar/conference be successful - Organizing committee must be formulated comprising of working hands mainly apart from decorative personalities. Invitation must be send to known researchers having good profile/credibility, advertisement/information must be sent to as many it could be, few awards may be announced in different sessions, lead / guest editors must be identified very carefully, a very comfortable stay and accommodation must be extended, Topic and sessions of Seminar need to be designed as per emerging/important issues. Active participation of organizers as well as participants must be ensured by all means and ways. And Inaugural and plenary / closing ceremony need to be only of 1 hr each only if a seminar is only of 2 days......otherwise like in our country half time goes as consumed in such activities.

@Kuldeep Dhama ,

I like your valuable point, few awards may be announced in different sessions. I think it would encourage participants.Thanks for sharing.

@ Debi

On your experience "conference speaker at LA".... .. no doubt your worth is in Gold. Each material has its own testing standards, while noble metals value more, stringent methods are applied. "Gold is evaluated after being scratched".

"Single helping hand can make ones life better and other much better". Seminar can be such kind of great helping hand to new research fellow. Success of seminar can be measured by counting successful research given by the guys attending seminar and this is not a birthday cake which can be create in a single day. Regular seminar, lots of inbuilt confidence, vast knowledge and the most important, help of senior research fellow can add an ice on cake. Please correct if i am wrong.

Dear everybody. Some useful tips:

- Create a good working title

- Know your audience

- Attend to details

- Active learning

- Small groups are most effective

- Avoid cliches

- Dress accordingly

- Don´t overact

Dear Krishnan, thanks for your extremely kind words; perhaps i do  not deserve them in such magnanimous measure as you have observed. That shows your very large heart. But I have seen in my later interaction with the same organization that they do not want to leave any stone unturned in satisfying that they are doing a proper job. 

Prof. Debi,

Happy Teachers Day

"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge" - Albert Einstein

Happy teachers day to all research gate scholars. 5th September is celebrated as the Teachers' Day in India. It is the birthday of a former president  of India, who was a professor of Philosophy at Oxford University before becoming Vice-President and later President of India. He was highly respected across political parties in India. I extend hearty warm wishes to you all from different countries who are contributors to scholarship through this amazing RG research forum. May you all rise still high in the comity of scholars in your respective fields. Thanks dear Krishnan, your thread reminded me about it  here, even as I have received since morning a number of SMSs and e-mails from former and current students.

A successful seminars cost money. To make it a success, means you have absolute control of the participants and depending on the type of platform and duration, this will translate to ensuring all the comfort of participants.

For instance, online platform involves ads to recruit the right stakeholders and depending on the rate of ads and response may consume time, but once recruited, it takes good tactics to get the full participants of respondent, eg. what are their benefits for participating?

But Platforms as workshops, making it a success means moving participant away from distractions to a location where you will have their full attention. This involve hiring a comfortable location, providing food and drinks and snack breaks with all mobile phones switched off.

At this stage, asking the right questions count to get the response needed, therefore, questions can be tested before application. and Above all giving remuneration to each participants in a form of transport allowance and or per-day wage depending on the respondents will assure them a reward for their time spent for the platform.

Dear All,

I agree with all comments especially that of Jesus Díaz-Campo 

Hi, 

I think all what make a seminar had been mentioned.

Jacic ,thank you for the links.

Many parties are responsible for a seminar. All participants collectively bear the responsibility for the success of the seminar; it is not one person responsibility.

The tutor has a specific responsibility to organize the seminar so that every participant has an effective role in the discussion.

Do something different and innovative... while meeting the interest of the stake holders.

http://www.beko-technologies.com/news/news-detail/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=658

A successful seminar should be targeted

The available information to date

Seminar has a selective aim of vision which cause for person joining with the similar line of thinking which may help the program of seminar interesting ,with & intelligent line of action .

With this it is also desirable that for seminar a selective time limit for the participant & for the members attending to the seminar should be provided with updated information with a selective note so that the members joining seminar may contribute with a new ideas ,a good guideline for discussion to make the seminar with a interesting notes & new guideline for the study & the knowledge so that it may offer a new preparation for the subsequent seminar .

This is my personal view .

Thanks Rohit M Parikh for sharing the kind answer.

How could a seminar be made successful?

In my personal view, following actions can make a seminar successful:

@Han Ping Fung, thanks for a detailed and nice reply. It is impressive.