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Your First Model UN Conference: A Two-Week Prep Plan
Nobody feels ready for their first Model UN conference, including the delegates who end up winning awards at it. The good news: first-conference nerves come from not knowing what will happen, and what will happen is highly predictable. This guide gives you a day-by-day two-week plan, tells you exactly what to wear, and walks you through your first three hours in committee, down to the words you will say.
The two-week countdown
Two weeks is enough. Delegates who prepare in one long panicked weekend show up with facts but no speech; delegates who start a month out mostly stop after day three. The plan below spends the first week on research and writing, the second on speaking and logistics, and asks for about 45 minutes a day. If you want the one-page version to tape above your desk, our printable first conference checklist is this table without the commentary.
| Day | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Day 14 | Background guide | Read the background guide twice: once straight through, once with a pen. List every term, treaty, and acronym you do not know. |
| Day 13 | Country basics | Learn your country in outline: government type, region and neighbors, main allies and rivals, economy in one sentence. |
| Day 12 | Country policy | Find your country’s actual record on the committee topic: UN votes, treaties signed or skipped, one or two official statements. |
| Day 11 | The problem itself | Read three credible sources beyond the background guide. Note two real-world programs or agreements that partially worked. |
| Day 10 | Position paper draft | Draft your position paper: the problem, your country’s stance and record, and two or three proposals. |
| Day 9 | Position paper final | Revise and submit. Many conferences set the deadline about a week out, so check yours on day 14, not today. |
| Day 8 | Solutions bank | Write out three concrete proposals with a funding source and an implementing body for each. This becomes your caucus material. |
| Day 7 | Opening speech draft | Write a 60-second opening speech: one hook, your country’s position, one concrete proposal, one invitation to work together. |
| Day 6 | Speech rehearsal | Deliver it out loud, standing, timed. Cut it until it fits in 45 seconds so you have room to slow down. |
| Day 5 | Procedure | Learn the four motions below and the difference between a point and a motion. That is all the procedure a first-timer needs. |
| Day 4 | Mock caucus | Have a friend or parent fire five likely questions at you. Answer each in 45 seconds, out loud, without notes. |
| Day 3 | Logistics | Try on the full outfit, shoes included. Print your position paper, notes, and background guide. Confirm travel times. |
| Day 2 | Light review | Skim your notes once, assemble your folder, and stop. Cramming past this point costs more than it adds. |
| Day 1 | Pack and sleep | Pack the bag tonight, lay out the outfit, set two alarms, and go to bed early. Committee rewards the rested. |
| Conference day | Arrive early | Get to the venue 30 minutes ahead, find your committee room, and introduce yourself to two delegates before the gavel. |
Two of these days deserve their own guides. For day 10, our position paper walkthrough shows a weak and a strong sample on the same topic. For day 7, the opening speech examples give you seven complete speeches to adapt rather than a blank page.
What to wear: Western business attire, decoded
Every delegate handbook says the same four words, “Western business attire,” and then explains nothing. Here is what it means in practice: dress like you are interning at an embassy. Nobody wins an award for the best suit, but an outfit that fits the room lets you stop thinking about your outfit, which is the entire point. These rules apply to everyone; wear whichever end of the suit-skirt-dress range you prefer.
| Do | Don't | |
|---|---|---|
| The base layer | A suit, or a blazer with dress slacks, a skirt, or a dress of professional length. Dark navy, charcoal, or black all work. | Jeans, chinos-and-hoodie, athletic wear, or a blazer thrown over a t-shirt to “technically” comply. |
| Shirts and tops | A pressed collared shirt or a plain professional blouse or top. A tie is standard with a suit at most conferences. | Logo shirts, low-cut or sheer tops, polos, or anything wrinkled enough to notice from the chair’s dais. |
| Shoes | Closed-toe dress shoes or flats you can stand in for eight hours. Modest heels only if you already walk in them comfortably. | Sneakers, flip-flops, or brand-new shoes you have never broken in. Blisters by session two is a rite of passage worth skipping. |
| Color and accessories | Conservative colors, a watch, minimal jewelry. One modest pop of color (tie, scarf, blouse) is fine. | Loud patterns, novelty ties, statement jewelry that clacks on the desk, or heavy cologne or perfume in a packed room. |
| Grooming and comfort | Neat hair, trimmed nails, layers you can shed, because committee rooms swing from freezing to stuffy. | An outfit that needs constant adjusting. If you are tugging at it during a speech, it is the wrong outfit. |
One rule that conferences state explicitly and delegates sometimes miss: formal traditional and religious dress fully meets the code. A hijab, turban, kippah, sari, or national formal dress worn at a professional standard is Western business attire’s equal in any committee room, and no chair will read it otherwise.
Your first three hours in committee
Here is how the opening of almost every US-style committee actually runs, so nothing that happens surprises you.
Roll call. The chair reads country names alphabetically and each delegate answers “present” or “present and voting.” The difference matters once: “present and voting” means you cannot abstain on substantive votes later. As a first-timer, say “present.” It keeps the abstain option open and costs you nothing.
The speakers list. After the committee votes on which topic to take first, the chair opens a list of delegates who want to give an opening speech, usually 60 to 90 seconds each. Raise your placard immediately. Speaking fifth feels no worse than speaking fortieth, and chairs notice who volunteered early. This is the speech you rehearsed on days 7 and 6, and if you have not written it yet, the opening speech planner builds it section by section.
The first moderated caucus. Within the first hour, someone motions for a moderated caucus and the room shifts gears: instead of a queue of prepared speeches, the chair calls on raised placards for short bursts, 30 to 60 seconds, on one narrow topic. It feels faster and more like a real conversation. You do not need anything polished here; one concrete point per speech is the standard, and “the delegate of Chile agrees with Ghana’s framework but asks who funds it” is a perfectly good contribution.
If you are terrified. Set yourself one job: speak once, on anything, inside the first ninety minutes. Fear of the first speech shrinks the moment the first speech ends, and the longer you wait the larger it grows. While you wait for your placard to be called, take notes on who says what; those notes become your bloc shopping list in the first unmoderated caucus, where the talking is one-on-one and much easier.
Two opening speech skeletons you can adapt, both timed to roughly 45 seconds at a calm pace:
Opener 1: the policy-first speech
“Honorable chair, fellow delegates. Chile has learned that declarations without enforcement change nothing, and this committee has a chance to do better. Chile proposes three things: independent monitoring, regional funding pools, and annual public reporting. To every delegation serious about results and not just language, Chile’s door is open. Thank you.”
Opener 2: the hook-first speech
“Honorable chair, fellow delegates. Everyone in this room drank clean water this morning without thinking about it. Billions of people cannot say the same. Kenya believes our job is not to restate that fact but to change it: fund maintenance, not just construction, and expand regional water-sharing agreements. Kenya welcomes every partner willing to build. Thank you.”
You only need four motions
Rules of procedure look intimidating in the handbook and mostly do not matter on the floor. At a US-style conference, four motions cover nearly everything a delegate says between speeches. Learn these word for word; our points and motions reference covers the long tail for later. When the chair asks “are there any motions on the floor,” raise your placard, wait to be called, and read the phrasing straight.
| Motion | Say exactly this | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Moderated caucus | “Motion for a ten-minute moderated caucus with a 45-second speaking time on the topic of funding mechanisms.” | When you want focused, rapid-fire debate on one narrow issue. Total time, speaking time, topic: name all three or the chair will rule it out of order. |
| Unmoderated caucus | “Motion for a fifteen-minute unmoderated caucus.” | When it is time to leave your seat, form blocs, and write. This is where working papers actually get drafted. |
| Extension | “Motion to extend the previous moderated caucus by five minutes.” | When a caucus ends mid-momentum. The extension usually cannot exceed the original length, and speaking time carries over. |
| Close debate and vote | “Motion to close debate and move into voting procedure.” | When draft resolutions are ready and debate has run its course. This one typically needs a two-thirds majority at most US conferences. |
Procedure does vary. THIMUN-style conferences, common internationally, run on a different rhythm with lobbying time instead of caucuses, and individual conferences tweak thresholds and phrasing. The four motions above hold at most US conferences, and when in doubt, the chair will help you rephrase; chairs correct first-timers gently and constantly.
What a good first conference actually looks like
Calibrate the goal before you go, because the wrong goal ruins a good weekend. A genuinely strong first conference looks like this: you spoke at least twice on the record, once from the speakers list and once in a moderated caucus. You joined a bloc during an unmoderated caucus instead of hovering at its edge. Your name ended up on a working paper, as a sponsor or signatory, because you contributed a clause or even just sharpened someone else’s. You left with two or three delegates you would recognize at the next conference.
Can a first-timer win an award? Yes; verbal commendations and honorable mentions go to well-prepared newcomers at every conference, and chairs score preparation and collaboration, not years of experience. But an award is a byproduct of doing the four things above, not a fifth thing to chase. The delegates who spend their first weekend hunting a gavel usually play worse and enjoy it less than the ones who spend it learning the room. There will be plenty of conferences to win. There is only one first one, and its job is to make you want a second.
Common questions
What should I bring to a Model UN conference?
A folder or small binder with your position paper, research notes, and a printed copy of the background guide, plus a legal pad, two pens, a refillable water bottle, and your placard if the conference mailed one. Add snacks that survive a bag (granola bars, not bananas) and a phone charger. Business attire on your body, comfortable shoes if there is a walk between committee rooms.
Can a beginner win an award at their first Model UN conference?
Yes, it happens at every conference, usually a verbal commendation or honorable mention rather than the gavel. Chairs reward preparation and constructive behavior, not seniority, so a first-timer who speaks early, knows their country, and helps write a working paper can absolutely place. Treat an award as a possible side effect of doing the job well, not as the goal of your first weekend.
What if I know nothing about my assigned country?
That is the normal starting point; almost nobody is assigned a country they already know. Two focused evenings fix it: one on the basics (government type, region, allies, economy) and one on your country’s actual record on the committee topic, meaning votes, treaties signed, and official statements. You need working knowledge of your country’s position on one topic, not a degree in its history.
How long do Model UN conferences last?
Most school-hosted conferences run a single day or a weekend, typically four to six committee sessions of two to three hours each. Large collegiate-hosted conferences usually run three to four days, Thursday or Friday through Sunday. Your schedule will list the exact session blocks; expect roughly six to twelve hours in committee at a weekend event.
Can I use a laptop in Model UN committee?
It depends on the conference, so check the delegate handbook before you rely on one. Many conferences allow laptops for note-taking and working-paper drafting but ban internet use during session; some ban devices in committee entirely and only permit them during unmoderated caucuses. Bring printed research either way, because a paper file never runs out of battery or violates a tech policy.