At academic conferences or presentation settings, icing on the cake or cherry on top is an expression used when an already excellent presentation or good result is followed by additional good news or a bonus element.
For example, it is a good fit for situations where a lively discussion from the audience follows a great lecture, or where you receive an award after presenting a paper.

Three example sentences
- The presentation received a great response, and the lively discussion from the audience afterward doubled my joy.
My presentation was well received, and the lively discussion afterward was the icing on the cake.
- It was meaningful enough to share my research, but being awarded Best Paper at the conference was truly the cherry on top.
It was already meaningful to share my research, and receiving the Best Paper Award at the conference was truly the cherry on top.
- It was great that the session ended successfully, and getting the chance to network with professors from overseas made it even better.
The session ended successfully, and having the chance to network with international professors was the icing on the cake.