Attending academic conferences plays an important part in the development of a researcher's profile in their field – if they do it well. In this session, we first discuss how to develop an impactful academic presentation that engages your audience while communicating your key message. We then review professional presentation skills to help researchers present with confidence and improve their impact. Lastly, we highlight strategies that researchers can effectively use to build their network with others at conferences that can help create career and collaborative opportunities.