Conference vs. Seminar

Main Difference

The main difference between Conference and Seminar is that the Conference is a Wikipedia disambiguation page and Seminar is a form of academic instruction.

• Conference

  A conference is a meeting of people who “confer” about a topic. Conference types include:

  Academic conference, in science and academic, a formal event where researchers present results, workshops, and other activities.

  Athletic conference, a competitive grouping of teams, often geographical

  Authors’ conference, or writers’ conference, where writers gather to review their written works and suggest improvements

  Conference call, in telecommunications, a call with more than two participants at the same time

  Conference hall, room where conferences are held

  Convention (meeting), meeting of a, usually large, group of individuals and/or companies in a certain field

  Free conference, between the two houses of a bicameral legislature

  News conference, an announcement to the press (print, radio, television) with the expectation of questions, about the announced matter

  Parent-teacher conference, a meeting with a child’s teacher to discuss grades and school performance

  Peace conference, a diplomatic meeting to end conflict

  Professional conference, a meeting of professionals in a given subject or profession dealing with related matters or developments

  Settlement conference, a meeting between the plaintiff and the respondent in lawsuit, wherein they try to settle their dispute without proceeding to trial

  Trade fair, or trade conference

  Unconference, or Open Space conference, a participant-driven meeting that tries to avoid one or more aspects of a conventional conference

• Seminar

  A seminar is a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some particular subject, in which everyone present is requested to participate. This is often accomplished through an ongoing Socratic dialogue with a seminar leader or instructor, or through a more formal presentation of research. It is essentially a place where assigned readings are discussed, questions can be raised and debates can be conducted.

• Conference (noun)

  a dessert pear of a firm-fleshed variety.

• Conference (verb)

  take part in a conference or conference call

  “video conferencing”