Published 16 December 2008, doi:10.1136/bmj.a2677
Cite this as: BMJ 2008;337:a2677

Feature

Christmas 2008: Professional Considerations

The cult of the conference bag

¹ Pulvertaft Hand Unit, Derbyshire Royal Infirmary, Derby DE1 2QY

Never mind the conference, what about the bag? asks Frank D Burke

The small things in life are important, and as a seasoned conference attendee my first rush of excitement is at the registration desk. After I have felt that frisson of panic (did I remember to register?) the registrar acknowledges my efficient planning and reaches under the desk for the conference bag.

Many of us have spent hours planning the scientific content of congresses, but the choice of bag is often seen as of marginal importance. This could not be further from the truth; carefully chosen, the bag may become a cherished possession—an everlasting monument to the congress, living witness to the International Congress of Palmistry (Zagreb, 2001), displayed by the proud owners at work and on planes and trains. However, immortality of this nature is illusive—course members are discriminating, and "cult bag" status must be earned.

The rules

(1) Course organisers must be discreet in terms of logo, and letters may be better than words for some of the perineal specialties. Font size should be small, although an exception might be made for the congress (if that is the collective) of sex therapists.

(2) A memorable bag does not mean a memorable colour. Luminous colours usually mean that the bag will be left in the hotel on the final day or at best given to the children for their swimming kit to reduce the risk of them being run over by a car at night.

(3) Bag access is the subject of strong and diverse opinion. Only dorsal zips are correct from my point of view—I particularly dislike a huge dorsal flap secured at the base by two plastic clips. Such a travesty of a conference bag is disheartening, and I am sure that many do not even survive their first day of use.

(4) Ideally, a bag has one large compartment that copes easily with A4 size documents and is 10-15 cm wide, with a firm plastic board at the base, which can be flipped horizontally. Preferably, this compartment would have a single partition, dividing the cavity into 3 and 12 cm. A narrower, full length pocket on the side is useful, with a general area capable of taking standard paperbacks, perhaps three pockets for pens, and broader pockets for phone and similar sized objects. Zips that can be padlocked are rare but have benefit.

(5) The strap should be reasonably broad and adjustable, swivelling at the base of the clips, facilitating correct alignment, with a broader sleeve to share weight over the shoulder. An additional haversack option that leaves both arms free is increasingly popular; the double shoulder straps are tucked away in an additional side pocket when not in use.

(6) A bag’s material is a crucial feature—nylon is the preferred material, creating a bag that is light, waterproof, and durable. Lightness is particularly important if the bag is to be used as a flight bag in the future.

My most cherished bags

(1) British Orthopaedic Association (Birmingham, 2001). A small bag in tasteful maroon, 340 g. Only three pockets, but ideal for towel and trunks if swimming, or to carry waterproofs (and all the things your partner wants carried) on holiday excursions.

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(2) Synthes Mini Fragment Fixation Workshop (Leeds, 2004). Black, 1.1 kg, discreet logo, truly the bag of bags, with all the abovementioned desirable features. I recently discovered with great excitement an additional long slim pocket, suitable for a collapsible umbrella. This bag is now my preferred flight bag.

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(3) Cyprus Orthopaedic Congress (Paphos, 1993). Silver grey, 900 g, very robust. One large compartment and a 15 cm compartment with two dividers. Excellent overnight bag (now superseded by bag 3), but remains my favourite for medicolegal conferences or attendance at court, where large files need to be transported.

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(4) European Federation of Hand Surgeons Conference (Goteborg, 2005). Black, 630 g, discreet logo. Large padded compartment suitable for laptop and smaller compartment for power cables and mouse. Small enough to fit in the large compartment of bag 3 when travelling.

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(5) AO Mini Fragment Fixation Bag (Derby, 1995). Black, 600 g, slim, main compartment 5-8 cm wide, with inner side pockets for pens, phones, and so on. Smaller pocket for book on the outside. Used as a daily briefcase.

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Cult status

Connoisseurs often take a cherished old conference bag to a congress. If the new bag does not meet expectations it can be rejected and the conference material transferred to old faithful. You then have a distinctive bag, which is not likely to be picked up by a colleague in error.

Hopefully, at your congress, most people will have learnt something, and you will have facilitated social networking. Will you also have created a cult bag for your specialty? Imagine the pleasure, in years to come, of seeing your well worn congress bag on the shoulder of a traveller in some far flung corner of the world—then you will know your congress has achieved the ultimate objective.

Cite this as: BMJ 2008;337:a2677

---

Competing interests: None declared.

Provenance and peer review: Not commissioned, not peer reviewed.

Do you have a favourite conference bag? Can you describe it in less than 250 words? We’ll publish the best description we receive by 15 January, along with a specially commissioned photograph of the winning bag. Post a rapid response to this article on bmj.com.

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