He was able to speak at professional gatherings without notes.

The two met at a professional gathering and discovered a shared hunger for voices and images reflecting black women's lives.

The only thing is I'm having a small professional gathering here-psychic experiments, mostly.

The Commissioner has adopted a higher profile recently by exhibiting at various professional gatherings.

Elements of the coming rescue plan have been floated by administration officials in recent public speeches and at professional gatherings, like one being held for Congressional staff members this weekend.

"It was a big surprise when he came to the party," she said, adding that she has seen him, from time to time, at professional gatherings.

He also continued his professional writing and traveled widely, lecturing and addressing professional gatherings.

In a gathering more professional than social, I would refrain.

The World Fantasy Convention, however, is less oriented toward the fan community, and is primarily a professional gathering (for writers, editors, publishers, etc.).

"Conference" in this sense is used to indicate an academic or professional gathering of practitioners in a given field to present and discuss current thought, research, and practice.