Attending or participating in a conference is definitely a unique human experience. The crowds, lights, production, inspiration, processing of thoughts, and networking can become quite overwhelming to most. Regardless of whether or not you like to go to conferences, the reality is that you will probably find yourself at one or more during the year. I personally find myself attending or speaking at an event or conference about 25 times a year!
Over the years, I’ve picked some helpful practices and principles for getting the most out of my conference experience. It has definitely made my time at events more enjoyable. I hope you find the following thoughts helpful:
- Pack light. The reality is that you won’t need most of the extra stuff you bring (e.g., extra clothes, books you plan to read, extra tech gear, etc.). In addition, you’ll probably leave the event with more stuff than what you came with, especially at events that are known for giving you goodies (aka stuff).
- Throw away or don’t accept things from vendors and event organizers that you’ll NEVER actually use. Why lug it back to your home and then throw away years later? Just because it’s free doesn’t mean you have to pick it up. Feel free to say “No thank you.” They will get over your rejection. Promise.
- Wait until the last day. If you’re going to buy something at an event, consider being patient and buying the product on the last day of event. Here’s two reasons why: (1) You don’t want to carry it all day at an event & (2) Many vendors don’t want to ship things back and are prone to give you a discount last minute (not always but quite often).
- Don’t attend EVERY session. You’re mind is not capable to digesting everything a conference produces. Impossible. Take a break, a walk, or spontaneously meet up with someone during the event. In worse case scenario, you can pick up the DVD or audio later of the session (You know, the same DVD or audio you probably won’t listen to more than once even if you buy it.).
- Take notes. Take actionable notes in the sessions you do attend. More than focusing on stories, identify principles you can implement in your life. Ask yourself, “What points are not just inspirational, but actionable?” Create a separate list in your notes for actionable points.
- Participate. Don’t just attend, participate in the sessions. When appropriate, engage speakers with questions and comments. I just ask that you don’t dominate a conversation or argue just to argue. You know who you are.
Most speakers welcome engagement and your thoughtful (hint, hint) questions will further take the conversation where it needs to go.
- Prep your elevator pitch. You’re bound to be asked a thousand times, “What do you do?” Why not spend a couple of minutes thinking through how you will answer this question? Clear communication of this initial point of conversation (if done well) will probably lead to more meaningful and possibly productive conversation.
- Turn in early. Too many late nights at an event probably won’t make you more productive. In addition, most of us probably have work to catch up on. It’s great to meet people, but it’s also important to be sensitive to what your body and work is communicating. Don’t say yes to every meeting or get together even if it sounds “unbelievable”. It’s okay. You’ll live. Why not just go to a few?
- Remind yourself that it is rarely as good as it sounds. Most speakers will bring their “A” Game. In other words, they are sharing what they’ve done well. Always remind yourself that there’s a back story to their “success”. Take the good but remember that most sound larger than life on stage. Don’t become a cynic, but keep perspective. It’s ironic that many get discouraged by inspirational talks.
- Don’t just look for the latest. Resist the urge simply to be a connoisseur of the latest trend. Look for principles that drive peoples ideas and their implementation. Often what’s more significant is not what one has created, but rather, how and why.
This list is definitely not exhaustive. Nevertheless, these principles help me to enjoy conferences more. Do you have any practical tips for conference goers?
