best/quickest way to get from Venice to Balogna

I think the train would be the easiest. Check schedules on www.trenitalia.com There is an express train about every hour and it takes 1.5 hrs.

Train is by far the easiest, especially if you are staying on the island of Venice, not on the mainland. For a car, she would need to consider learning laws of the road for Italy, she would need an International Drivers Permit, etc. Then worry about ZTLs (basically areas of cities you cannot drive into without a residential permit). Public transportation is pretty good in Italy and most likely her best option. As the previous poster mentioned, there is a train from Venice that goes directly to Bologna. It's a fast train, so that is more expensive but if she can purchase her ticket in advance (for this, she must know exactly which train she wants to take--what time, what day) she may be able to get a MINI fare that can bring the price down a lot.

Nan, if you and your friend plan to get to Bologna the day of the conference, don't underestimate the time it will take to get from the mainland of Venice (I assume by vaporetto) to the train station. Depending on where your hotel is in Venice, it can take half an hour or so.

Thanks everyone!