Conference Planning: One Step at a Time!

If the thought of attending a large conference makes you a bit uneasy, Chris Brogan went through the trouble to make available a tip list on how to prepare for a conference. As most conferences differ in one way or another, a few basic rules apply to ensure attendees make the most of their time and dollar investment. A brief review of Chris's 27 point preparation plan may very well maximize your conference educational/networking experience.

I have only cited/commented on a few of Chris's 27 points. You can narrow down his list to what you think works best for you:

1. This seems silly to start with, but check the schedule of the event. Mark off what you want to see. Get a sense of what you might ask for a pertinent question based on the session description, and/or decide what the business value of your interaction at any session might be.

To this I would add, in between sessions, plan on talking and interacting with people. Put mundane topics aside, and focus on meaningful discussion; avoiding the self-promo track. You want to make friends and influence people. Be genuine! Be a good listener!  Your business will benefit in the long run.

2. Consider writing posts that might help you form conversations at the event. For instance, if you're looking to work with restaurants, write a blog post about how you'd help restaurants improve sales. Thus, people who might investigate your blog ahead of time might also know what you're thinking about and will engage you.

3. Send message via Twitter saying that you'll be visiting ____ conference in ____ (city) and let people know you're coming. See if you can strike up friendships ahead of time. Maybe mention some of the stuff you're looking to do, business-wise.
Conference attendance offers a great opportunity to listen to and network with experienced academics and your peers

4.If you've got a business offer to promote at an event, practice and practice and practice how you're going to talk about it. Be crisp. Make it easy to say. Be very clear about the ask. If you're looking for people to review your demo, then make that the ask. If you're looking for work, be clear that you're available for a few extra projects. It seems that lots of folks beat around the bush or don't exactly know how to have a beginning, middle, and end to a conversation.
Determine to move out of your comfort zone.

5.Backup your laptop before you travel. You might not think about it, but there are many chances to destroy your data once you're on the road. Make sure that's not going to happen.
As a backup for your backup, the new USB data keys are compact, and they're getting cheaper by the day. Don't leave home without one.

Follow the link to Chris' 27 things to do and add your thoughts about what might make things easier during your next conference!