Here are 10 quick tips to get the most out of your next conference experience.
These are 10 must-dos!
- Introduce yourself to other attendees. (Don’t wait until they extend their hand.)
- Immediately hand the person you are extending a handshake to, your business card. Be sure to get their business card. Take a moment to look at their card; don’t just throw it in your purse.
- Be sincerely interested in the other person. Aside from asking them the basic questions like where they work, find out what they love most about their job? What is the most frustrating thing about their job? Do they see the administrative profession as a career of choice? You can ask them about how they liked the different speakers at the conference, but more importantly, what did they glean from a particular speaker’s presentation. Find out what stood out the most for them and how they are going to apply to their job.
- Take excellent notes.
- Listen. (Put your cell phone aside and do not glance at it when anyone is speaking on stage.)
- Exercise. Whether you go to the gym or take a walk outside, do something aside from walking the conference halls.
- Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Travel can be rough on the body. Snack on healthy foods like almonds instead of stocking up on cookies and bags of chips.
- Have some quiet time to revisit your notes while at the conference. Write little notes about features of a person you just met that will help you remember them later.
- Go to dinner with someone you just met at the event or meet for breakfast.
- Use all the social media tools available.
Remember, you only will get out of the event, what you put into it. So make it really worth your time and money. What are your favorite ways to to get the most out of a conference or other learning event? Share in the comments below. This is an unprecedented learning investment! Here are more tips on how to maximize your learning experience at the Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence.
Joan Burge