"Very uncertain over the legitimacy of this company"

I have been contacted several times, inviting me to present. I have queried whether they would be paying me a speaker fee (creating and delivering a conference slot does require quite a lot of work) and was then sent a link to purchase my speaker slot (at a higher cost than the price someone would pay to attend the conference). They are supposedly a not for profit company, however are charging high fees for people to attend these conferences (including speakers) and no one has been able to answer where the profit is going.

I have spoken at conferences and events in the past for a nominal or no fee, where I have felt the organisation was legitimate, and a worthwhile cause. I have never been asked to pay $600 (plus travel and accommodation costs) to speak. Please be wary about this company

"Scam!"

I was too contacted by two different profiles on LinkedIn to attend a star conference in Rome. Both profiles didn’t seem to belong to a real person. The description of the conference did not make sense, nor does their website. They immediately ask you to pay a fee. It’s a scam!

"I Was Contacted By STAR Conferences, but...: A Story of a Potential Conference Scam"

In October of 2021, I received a message on LinkedIn from an employee at STAR Conferences. They invited me to present at an addiction conference in London, UK, July 21-22, 2022. I was so excited as I've never presented internationally, and immediately submitted my abstract. A few months later, I got a message confirming my abstract had been approved. But recently, I started to wonder if this whole thing is a scam...

Let me share why:

I received my confirmation of my session in March 2022 and paid the conference registration. In my excitement to present at an international conference, I shared the joyous news right here on LinkedIn. In May 22, STAR Conferences reached about the possibility of moving the conference in October on account of COVID-19. I checked my calendar, blocked the dates, and requested they inform me if and when this change occurs. I was informed that a decision would be make in 24 hours....that was on May 24, 2022! To date, I have still not received any communications about the move of the conference or my request for a refund for the registration fee. In fact, TODAY, is when I was originally supposed to be presenting in London! smh

I feel as though I've given plenty of opportunities for this situation to be resolved and will now seek support from my bank to recoup the registration fee.

If you have been contacted by STAR Conferences, or are thinking about submitting a proposal to them, I urge you to be cautious. This is a story of my personal experience with what appears to be a conference scam. I hope by sharing my story, it will help someone else. It never crossed my mind to be concerned about the conference being real. I mean heck, they reached out to me on LinkedIn!!! I consider this space a professional world, protected from schemes or tricks. This experience has been valuable, as I will now have a new eye for evaluating future speaking engagements.

I also hope this post, inspires others who have had a similar experience, to share your story with others! We've got to help each other identify companies with questionable operating practices.

#potentialscam #STARConferences

"This appears to be a scam"

This appears to be a scam - You are invited to give a presentation in your specialist field and then they chase you for payment to the conference. Avoid.

"Scam"

Scam. Approached me via LinkedIn to be a speaker in a completely unrelated to me field - there is no way any credible organisation would do that, and then kept insisting for me to pay for conference fees. Furthermore, couple of days later another LinkedIn user wrote exactly same message to me again, but this time advertising conference in another country. Don’t pay them any money, stay away

"About my experience"

Star Conferences is totally a staggering gathering coordinator. I have really enjoyed my presentation since it moved me to be courageous and being a brave and straightforward I can rouse individuals that work for me. I was also planning to attend the upcoming event of Star conferences

"Attended STAR Robotics Conferences in…"

Attended STAR Robotics Conferences in the USA. The sessions are very interesting and speaker topics are well addressed with both personal and professional branding with prioritized themes and topics. Get exposed to better ways of doing things...

"very informative conference"

Fantastic conference – thanks so much for all your thoughtful and effective organization. I am always impressed with the commitment and efficiency of those who plan this conference.” “I really enjoyed my time at the conference. I am looking forward to next year's conference.

"Attending STAR conferences is a great…"

Attending STAR conferences is a great way to help to develop our research career. They offer the chance to network and meet new collaborators or co-authors, learn about the latest research developments, and understand the bigger picture of our field.

"Looking for future collaboration"

STAR Conferences is a great platform for the researchers. I was the invited speaker for Artificial Intelligence Conference in 2018, USA. It was a great experience. And this year also I am part of it and thinking of best future collaboration.