Planning Tips

CONFERENCE PLANNING TIPS FOR ATTENDEES

Following are some conference planning tips gathered from various sources online:

Before the event:

If people create the written word (many people are active bloggers, twitterers, authors, etc), seek out their work and read it. It is a great way to get to know people by reading their stuff, but they will also be honored when you tell them that you read their blog or follow them on Twitter.

Know ahead of time which questions you want answers to. Of course, there will be some things you don’t know you need to ask, but at a minimum, you should know which questions are most pressing to you. You will pick up by exposure the answers to other people’s questions that you realize apply to you as well.

•    Look at the topic and consider – how does it (if at all) apply to my situation?  
•    What sessions might have content?
•    What are other activities at the conference where I can talk to people?
•    How can I meet up with other people who have similar issues or have experience with my questions?

Plan to combine the conference with another meeting. If the conference is in Chicago, and you have a client in Chicago, how about you suggest meeting before or after the conference? If you can’t charge the travel expense directly, you will at least have an easier time writing it off. Or add a vacation day or two on to the conference and enjoy the local sights or side tours.

Prepare a prepaid bulk envelope to mail brochures and materials back from the conference (You're not a mule!), or leave space in your carry-on for extra stuff on your return trip. If packing an envelope, do your best to estimate postage correctly (you can weigh a ‘dummy’ package at the post office or UPS / FedEx office), or overpay to be safe.

If possible, create a business-type card with your picture, or have personal cards that include your picture, tagline, and a few suggested things to talk to you about. Putting a list of talking points or topics on the front or back of your business card is a great conversation help, because it makes it easier for your conversation partner to learn more about potentially common interests. As for the picture – we've all had those moments of going through stacks of business cards and not remembering who they came from. Make it easy for people to remember you.

Pack some blank business cards - Sometimes others forget their business cards or run out. Having this size card on hand will allow others to still share their information.

Pack for comfort. Even if the dress code is business, make sure your shoes are comfortable. You can handle anything if your feet don’t hurt. Pack accordingly so that you can layer your clothing so that you can go from frigid air conditioning to high humidity (temperatures and room comfort varies widely and there is precious little conference organizers can do about that).

At the conference:

Upon arrival, orient yourself. Use the conference program to familiarize yourself with all of the conference events and locations (day panels, networking events and band showcases, etc).

Bring along plenty of sugar-free gum and mouthwash if you have a breath problem. Bad breath is your enemy if networking is your goal!

If you want a good seat at a session, arrive a little early. You can always network while you wait. If you're late, have a little courage and find a seat. Whatever you do, don't stand for an hour - you'll regret it as the day goes on.

Turn your cell phone off or set it to vibrate. Relate to folks face to face!

Do not focus on meeting the celebrity speakers. While meeting famous authors, speakers, and other gurus is fun, you are one of hundreds who will come up to them and shove a card in their hands. Instead, place you focus on meeting other people in attendance at the event. It is the other attendees who you are most likely to bond with and create real long lasting mutually beneficial friendships.

Talk to the people sitting next to you. When you walk into a seminar, take the time before the presentation begins to say hello to the people seated around you. I call this the "power of hello". Once you have said something as simple as "hello", it will be easier to talk with them later in the week if you see them again.

When you collect business cards, make a habit of writing some notes on the back of the card as soon as you take it. Some little cue that helps you to remember why that person was important enough to take their card. Trust me, when you get home you won’t have a clue why you have that card without it.

Ask questions of people you meet. Never lead with your "elevator pitch". People are more interested in themselves than they are in you, so ask them questions to help them get to talking.

When attending evening networking parties, get there early. That way a cluster of conversation builds up around you and you don't face the challenge of working your way into other clusters like you do if you arrive late.

Sort through your swag before you leave. Take the time in the hotel room to go through everything, making notes on the materials you want to follow up on while it’s still fresh in your head. Throw out those things you know you’ll never touch again. Do you really need 56 more pens?

After the conference:

Fill out your expense reports immediately while expenses are still fresh in your mind and you haven’t had a chance to lose or misplace all your receipts.

Deal with your business cards. Don’t let them pile up. Enter them into your contact database and get it over with.

Send emails. I have a colleague who will send a “was great to meet you” email to every single person she spoke to at these things. I’m not sure you have to go that far, but this is where the networking really begins. Take advantage of it while your conversation is still fresh in their head.

Don’t kiss up (too much) in your emails. If you met a great contact – a famous blogger, author, CEO – avoid blatant kissing up. It will come off fake. Keep it real and if you want to pay someone a compliment about something they said or did, do it without overdoing it.

Fulfill your promises. If you said that you’d do something after the conference, then do it.

Connect your network. If you’re on LinkedIn or Twitter, this is certainly the time to increase your connections.

Search blogs and add comments. People are talking about the conference. Add your perspective and further expand your connections based on the common experience. Write your wrap-up about the conference for your own blog, and post your pictures. If you were a presenter at the conference, then this is a must.

If you choose to blog about the conference, make it useful and interesting to read. Don’t simply re-cap what went on – offer an opinion on it, connect it to something else (another event or an article), draw some conclusions from it.