26 May 2015

How to Plan for Conferences

For the Presentation:
  1. If you've got an Apple, make sure to bring a dongle (AKA that thing that connects your laptop to a projector). Actually, bring one even if you don't have an Apple device. Ten minutes before panels begin, start calling out your rental rates.

  2. If you're doing a presentation with sound, bring some speakers with you. Some easy-travel ones can be found at a decent price. For a cheaper price, you can get more awkward ones that you can bang around a bit.

  3. Print out your outline (or whatever) before you leave wherever your workday printer lives. Don't rely on the hotel business center or the university printing lab. At the midnight before your presentation, they will both be either out of paper or out of toner. TRUST ME, I know.

  4. Do you have a flash drive? Do you have two flash drives? Bring 'em.

  5. Test your presentation materials in three different locations. If it's a video/slideshow/electronic thing, that means three different computers. If you're reading or consulting notes, then run through it in front of actual human people. Not only does this minimize technological problems during the presentation itself, it allows you to check your running time, and also discover which words you are bad at pronouncing.

  6. Seriously, assume every single thing will go wrong, technologically. Mentally accept that you may have to freestyle for 10-15 minutes because an electromagnetic pulse has crashed all of civilization, but people still desperately want to hear your thoughts on pedagogy.

  7. If you're in a panel with folks you know, don't forget to set a time limit for each piece. If you're in a panel with strangers, plan for about 10-12 minutes. Yes, your ideas are complex, but you also only have an hour or so. If there's plenty of time after everybody has given their talk, great! More time for Q&A.

  8. Make sure you identify yourself, even if you were already introduced by the panel chair. And let people know that you are happy to share your materials if they want to follow up with you. Because, hey, you should be.
For Convention Center/Conference Room Survival:
  1. It is either going to be too cold or too hot in the convention rooms. Plan your outfits as layers, not ensembles. (I have a shawl that I keep wadded up in the bottom of my purse.)

  2. Always have an alternate plan. If you think that one panel in a smallish room sounds can't miss? Chances are fifty other people did, too.

  3. Go to at least one panel where you know nothing about the topic.

  4. Bring granola bars, because you might sleep in and miss breakfast. Or you might have panels you want to attend during lunch, and restaurants in convention centers are expensive. If you can manage it, I'd recommend dried fruit and/or a bunch of slightly-ripe bananas.

  5. Bring a refillable water bottle, and if you're a caffeine addict, a traveling mug. They'll usually have water available, and if you also have access to coffee? You will want to fill up rather than wrangling flimsy disposable cups.

  6. Bring a small paperback book, or a couple of text-heavy magazines. Yeah, conferences are for learning and networking, but doing it 24/7 will burn you out. If you have a spare ten minutes, sit in a quiet space and disconnect.

  7. Bring a small bottle of the painkiller of your choice, and a handful of cough drops. Even if you don't need them, somebody will. (If you REALLY want to impress people: pack of Kleenex, a few bandaids, nail scissors, and tweezers.)

  8. If you have business cards, have them handy--even if you're not a very networky person, somebody might ask you for contact information. You have smart things to say! People want access! (If you don't have business cards, I recommend Moo.com--they're a little pricier than Vistaprint, but you can do more fun things with graphics.)

  9. Have mints or gum for after lunch (unless you have the energy to run back to your hotel room to brush your teeth). Also, check your teeth for spinach, etc. If you don't carry around a mirror, your phone probably has a camera you can use to the same effect.

  10. Usually you can count on hotels and convention vendors to provide you with pens and notepaper, but bring a couple of your preferred pens, too. You won't regret it.

  11. Carry your phone/laptop/tablet charger around with you. At all times. When you enter a new room, scope out the available outlets. You may need them, and you'll need to get to them discreetly.
For Your Tourist/Foodie Times:
  1. Check out the menus of the restaurants within/closest to the conference site. Check when they're open, as well. If you get caught up in a conversation with an old friend or a new colleague, you can then easily suggest a place to continue without having to worry about dietary restrictions or getting lost or busting your budget.

  2. If you like checking out local landmarks or doing touristy things, the convention center or conference planners probably have a list of suggestions, as well as how to get to them. You will probably have to miss out on 2-3 hours of conference time (there's no quick popping down the block).

  3. Whether you have meals provided, or if you are doing the "find something nearby" food plan, resign yourself to the fact that you will likely be presented with food you aren't super-excited about. As long as you're not allergic to it, you will survive it (or survive by going a bit food-light, depending on the situation). Make a deal with yourself: pick one meal where you won't compromise. (Breakfast if you're a morning person, or dinner if you make reservations in advance.) Because, sure, you hate those weird sticky danishes that you always get stuck with at the continental breakfast, but BY GOD, you are having yourself some hash and French toast tomorrow.

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