Every weekend there is an interesting conference or convention going on somewhere. I recommend attending at least one a year to grow your skills and your network. If traveling is not in your budget, find a local one. Here are just a few of the things going on in my hometown of Houston this year: The League of Romance Writers Conference, Comicpalooza, and the Houston Film Festival.
Here are my tips and tricks for getting the most out of conferences and conventions.
Before You Go
Booking Your Hotel
While it is cheaper to stay with friends and family, I strongly recommend staying in the hotel near the venue. You want to be where most of the attendees are staying. (There is usually a discounted rate.) Some of the best networking is in the hotel bar and lobby. You will also run into people you have just met in the halls and elevator. Re-meeting people you have been in sessions with often leads to spontaneous meals and wonderful evenings.
Plan Your Conference
What do you want to get out of the conference? Is it sell a project? Meet one of the speakers? Learn a skill? Build your network? What your goal is should inform your plan.
Read the program, concentrating on the session descriptions and the speakers’ bios. Many conferences have tracks of workshops with different themes like craft and marketing. Pick the sessions you want to attend and the speakers you want to meet. Type out the schedule of the sessions you are interested in so that you are not constantly having to page through the program. If the conference has an app, download it and learn how to use it.
Perfect Your Pitches
Have strong personal and project cocktail pitches so that you feel confident introducing yourself and talking about your projects.
Business Cards
Business cards are a must for networking. I use moo.com for my cards. They have hundreds of cool designs, or you can upload your own that you designed in Canva. Be sure to order a month or more ahead of time so you don’t have to pay rush fees. Order more than you think you’ll need. It’s better to have too many than to run out and you can always use them later. If you get in a bind, you can ship them to yourself at the hotel. Also, you need a nice business card case to carry your cards. You don’t want to keep them in your wallet where they have a tendency to get bent and wrinkled.
Conference Business Card Hack: Put your extra cards in a Ziploc bag to keep them from getting bent. Have another Ziploc bag to put other people’s business cards in. This trick prevents you from losing your stack of new friends’ cards.
If there is a spot for you to leave some cards, consider making an about me form. Put your personal logline with your website, newsletter, and socials QRs. To make it stand out, use your brand colors. Put it in a frame with your cards in front of it.
Name tag
While most conferences give you a ticket with your name on it that hangs around your neck, they are difficult to see. Consider designing your own name tag you wear closer to eye level on your shoulder. I got mine from andrea@newbart.com for $3.50. These are magnetic, so they don’t put holes in your clothes.
Taking Notes
Here are two AI note taking tools that record and transcribe lectures, panels, and workshops so that you can focus on the content instead of worrying about taking notes.
- Otter.ai is an app that runs on your laptop or phone.
- Plaud AI Note Pro is a recording device.
Conference Survival Kit
Your bag will get heavy quickly. Instead of a backpack, I like a rolling bag. This one has a laptop sleeve, a place for your water bottle and lots of pockets. As a bonus, it fits under the seat on a plane.
- Sweatshirt – It is always cold in convention centers.
- Laptop
- Laptop and phone chargers
- Power bank – to charge your phone. This one is light and can charge a cell phone one and a half times.
- Hot spot – sign up for a hot spot with your cell phone provider so you can connect to the internet if you need to.
- TP – link WiFi Router - for secure, private wifi.
- Extension cord - for plugging in your laptop
- laptop sleeve with stand
- USB C to HDMI Adapter - for connecting your laptop when you're speaking
- Presentation remote - for clicking your slides when you're speaking
- Travel cord organizer
- Notebook
- Pen
- Reading glasses
- Sunglasses - for outside breaks
- Business card case
- Extra business cards in Ziploc bag
- Empty Ziploc bag - for the business cards you collect.
- Granola and protein bars and other snacks
- Water bottle
- Tissues
- Lip balm
- Hand lotion
- Brush/comb
- Umbrella
- Advil/Tylenol
- Allergy pills or other medication
- Hand sanitizer
- Make up - for touch ups
- Eye drops - for dry eyes
- eye mask and eye plugs - for sleeping in loud hotels
During the Conference
How to Dress
Different conferences have different dress codes. For comic and animation conventions, the standard uniform is a funky tee shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Others everyone is in suits. Check the conference website for pictures of what people wore last year. When in doubt, go for business casual. Whatever the dress code, you should look put together and professional. The most important part of your wardrobe is comfortable shoes. While you sit a lot, you also are on your feet a lot, walking to sessions and networking.
Pro Tip for Women: If you wear heels, carry comfortable shoes in your bag in case your feet hurt.
Pro Tip #2 for Women: Get a good blow out so you don’t have to do your hair in the morning.
Network the Easy Way
You are there to meet people! Introduce yourself to at least three new people a day. Conferences are the easiest place to network because everyone wants to meet people. They are friendly and open.
Don’t Eat Lunch Alone
Eat meals with new friends you have made. It is fun to bond over burgers or a cocktail.
Take Breaks
It’s easy to get tired and overwhelmed at a crowded and busy conference. Plan down time to rest and rejuvenate. It’s okay to go back to your room for an hour or two. Or get some fresh air by the pool.
If you have energy during your downtime, start adding business cards you collected to your contacts and LinkedIn.
Pro Tip: In the notes section, add the conference and the year so you can remember where you met them. Also, add other details about them.
After the Conference
Follow Up
I like to send a nice to meet you email, referencing something you talked about or did (to help your new contact remember you.) 99% of people do not email. It will make you stand out.
Continue inputting the business cards and sending nice to meet you emails. If you have promised to send someone something, do it. If some of your new friends live near you, reach out for lunch.
I know you will be exhausted after days of meeting, greeting, and learning so give yourself a week to finish your follow ups. Again, most people do not follow up, so you will be memorable.
More Conference Tips
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Lindsey,
Thank you for this comprehensive list! I printed it off and will definitely use as my go-to reference. Appreciate all your time that it took to assemble these helpful notes and images!
Julie