Tips for Conference Goers

Everybody loves a conference. They are full of interesting people, good parties, and lots of great information. It takes a little effort, however, to get the most out of the whole experience. Whether you are a first time attendee or a long time veteran, you will find that a little investment ahead of time will pay big dividends. Go prepared.

First, read the agenda. You can frequently access this information on line, before going to the conference. Know what is going on, when. Highlight the events that you absolutely need to attend.

Be sure to check the workshop schedule as well. You may find that there are conflicting workshops and you simply can't attend them all. Some conference organizer schedule sessions twice so make sure you look over the entire schedule before giving up on something you would like to see.

Bring a notebook and pen to the workshops. Some convention centers provide a notepad, but they are generally small. Bring your own to take notes in the workshops.

Prepare for the trade show as well. Look at the exhibitor list before going in and highlight the vendors you need to talk to. Without this guideline, you could spend hours wandering around a trade show floor to no avail. Ask as many questions as you can think of. This is a rare opportunity to talk to sales engineers, product developers and frequently top management. Take advantage of it.

Attend the luncheons and all social functions. For vendors, this a perfect place to socialize with customers in a non-threatening setting. For customers, you won't find a better place to network with both your peers and vendors. The friends you make in this setting might prove invaluable when you get stuck with a problem they can help you with. Besides that, you make new friends, which is always good.

Lastly, bring business cards with you and take them everywhere you go. Exchange them with people you meet in workshops, the exhibit hall, and at the parties. Jot down something on the back of the card to remind yourself of where you met this person. You must do this shortly after meeting them, otherwise you will find yourself at the end of the day with 15 business cards and you can't remember who is who.

If you don't have business cards, improvise. The hotel note pad will suffice. Put your name, company and phone number on a stack of papers and hand them out. A new deck of card would also work. Use a sharpie to write your contact information on them and hand them out just like business cards. Don't be afraid to be creative.

When making all these plans, remember to plan a little bit of down time to digest all the information you are ingesting. Oh, and one more thing - wear comfortable shoes.