Difference Between Conference and Meeting

Conference vs Meeting

“Conference” and “meeting” refers to the getting together of many people and holding some kind of discussion on certain topics. Their basic goal is the same which includes people gathering to discuss something which is common to all who are attending. The dictionary meanings of “conference” and “meetings” are not too different either, but in practice they have some basic differences which cannot be neglected.

Conference
The dictionary meanings of “conference” are:

A meeting especially with an agenda which is formal for consultations, discussions, or exchanging information.
In politics, government, and diplomacy, it is defined as a formal meeting between political groups, two or more states, etc. to discuss issues and formulate policies.
Religiously in Christianity or ecclesiastical terms, it means an assembly of clergy.

Conferences are held on a large scale. People come to attend conferences from different fields of life, business, society, and religion, etc. to discuss a particular subject. They are formal affairs where invites are sent in advance, and a particular agenda has to be discussed and focused upon. The discussions, the topics are all prioritized in advance.

The number of attendees is large so that it needs to be organized in hotels or specially designed conference rooms or training centers where the environment is right for discussions amongst a very large group.

The people who are invited for conferences are accommodated in hotel rooms as guests as conferences may be planned for more than one day and spread over a span of three to four days or more.

Meeting

The dictionary meanings of “meeting” are:

It is the process or act of coming together of people, also considered an encounter.

Assembly of people for different social, business, or religious purposes.

Meetings are more casual than conferences; they may or may not be planned in advance. Meetings can be called informally at any time by the people in office or people belonging to a group.

Meetings can be held at home or in an office at any given time in any given space, and does not include a very large number of people. Meetings are usually called to discuss something which came up, and the topics may or may not be planned in advance. They usually carry on for less time than conferences.

Summary:

1.A conference is a more formal affair than a meeting.

2.Conferences are preplanned and held on a large scale where a lot of people attend; meetings may or may not be preplanned, and attendees are fewer in number.

3.Conferences have a particular agenda for discussion; meetings may or may not have a particular subject to be discussed; they may have many points to focus on.

4.Conferences are usually held in hotels or conference rooms, etc. as they are on a large scale; meetings can be held at home, an office, or at any given space.

5.Conferences may be held over a span of a few days; meetings are shorter than conferences and usually end the same day they start in a few hours.

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