Conferences 101:

Whats Your ROI?

Christi M. Underdown-DuBois,Cataloger Ingram Content Group

ROI = Return on Investment

Why are YOU here?

Relax, librarians are genetically engineered to be friendly & helpful!Networking ; Professional development ; Cash bar... Ask questions.

Packing

* List it and save it. * Personal wardrobe may vary, but Layers are your friends.* Bring comfy shoes & change out every day. * Chargers for your technology- laptop, cell, &c.* Snacks & drinks

* David Allen's packing list.* CLOTHES: Whether you choose to dress nicer than you usually do at work, as nice as you do at work or more casually (you'll see examples of all 3), be sure to layer clothing so that you can adjust your own temperature. * Comfy shoes and multiple pairs. I promise your feet will like you better if you switch at the end of the day or at least not two days in a row. No brand-new shoes.*SNACKS: Water bottle: Convention Center food = 3 times. [Tell local accommodations story.]Lightweight, easily portable and not prone to going bad. Compare the benefit of saving money with the challenge of the added stuff to carry.

Packing cont.

* Clean out your bag. * Compact umbrella for spread out events, like ALA or SLA. * 50+ Business cards* If you fly in, bring an extra bag or mail your goodies home before you leave.

* BAGS: Clean out your bag &/or pockets before toting them around like normal. This is conference life, the things they carried get heavy fast. Backpacks or a totebag with a pocket or two allows you to separate things are recommended for collectors/presenters. Keep your load as light as possible.*CARDS: door prizes or simple networking. Vistaprint/ Moo for cheap. If nothing else, you can print out some at home. Think of them as calling cards.

Pace yourself and have fun! At my 1st Annual Meeting I thought Id be proactive & take the Preliminary Program and create a spreadsheet (colorcoordinated, no less) on which I blocked off time for sessions I wanted to attend. Once completed, what I had was a multi-colored monster staring back at meit was rather intimidating. And although I did a pretty good job of following this schedule, I was mentally & physically exhausted by the end of the conference. Dont do this to yourself! Plan ahead, of course, & make sure to attend those sessions that really interest you. Spend some time in the Exhibit Hall. Meet new colleagues. Go for a run. But most important of all, relax & have some fun. Dont become a prisoner of your own multi-colored monster!- Jason R. Sowards, Assistant Director for Instruction & Technology, and Lecturer in Law at the Massey Law Library at Vanderbilt University. -

Preparing for the Con.

* Focus on the conference & try to leave work behind.* Scan through the program beforehand or at least early on. * Make sure you have any contact info for colleagues before you leave. Phone #s & hopefully hotels. * If you are looking for job consultation, bring a couple of copies of your resume.

* PROGRAM: Mark what you want to attend, but keep in mind that back-ups are useful. Keep two in mind for each slot- the 1st room might be too full or the topic may not work for you. Remember the exhibits & posters, as well meals, which are great networking opportunities. Also, look at sponsoring divisions and speakers for clues about relevancy. I.e. Technical Services Roundtable programs are esp. useful to a cataloger like me, but usually not public libraries, since most of my clients are academic. On the other hand, I can still learn outside my comfort zone, so I might pick up a CYA while I'm here. Also, consider where you might be 5 years and what you can learn here to get you there.Remember to eat. Schedule it in, if you think you'll forget. Take travel time into account.* HOOK UP: If you think you'll want to meet up with any colleagues while you're at the conference, be sure you have their phone / text information and hotel name, if possible before you head for the conference. It can be really difficult to find someone once you get there if you haven't arranged a meet-up time / place in advance. Don't depend on email during the conference. You don't want to be scrolling through past FB messages, searching for info while missing the best part of any speaker's talk.

Preparing cont.

* Stay technically connected via the TLA smarphone application- http://guidebook.com/g/tnla13/ & Twitter hashtag- #tnla13 .* Don't be shy about asking for a roommate or shuttle/taxi/subway/bus buddy. * Tip your service- drivers, clerks, housekeepers &c.

* Be clear about boundaries, such as no snoring and be respectful of others' schedules.

At Registration

* Arrive as early as you can manage to get settled.* If you're unfamiliar with the host city, visit Local Accommodations in Registration for restaurants, sights to see, &c.* Volunteer. * Wear a 1st-Time Attendee bling with pride. * Be aware of your conference badge.

* L.A. : Lose something? Ask the hotel & registration/L.A. desk, that's why they are.* Volunteer: Kitchen analogy. You get to meet people and network without having to yell over the band. You get to see how the organization works from the inside out. You get to help make the whole thing work.Suggest a program for next years conference. Better yet, agree to coordinate or help coordinate a program.* Wear the First-Time Attendee badge with pride. It will buy you smiles and lots of help. * ALWAYS be aware of whether or not you're wearing the registration badge holder. You must have it to attend all conference activities and to ride the shuttle buses, but wearing it anywhere else marks you clearly as a tourist and could make someone think you're easy prey.

In the sessions

* Pick 1-2 sessions for each time slot. Don't be shy about slipping out, if something isn't working for you or if the room is just too full.* If you don't get all the sessions you want, Let It Go.* Sit in the front during the sessions. Don't be afraid to be noticed.

*QUESTIONS: More than likely there are others who are wondering the exact same thing. If not, repetition won't kill the "experts". At sessions, sit in the front so a speaker notices you. Dont be afraid to speak up and ask questions and be noticed. * NETWORK: Talk to everyone and intro to everyone.*SESSIONS: If you don't get all the sessions you want, Let It Go. The sessions are important, but most speakers will provide the website with their slides or write articles for TN Libraries after the conference. Read the blogs, etc. Besides, you'll learn a lot at lunch or the water fountain.

Sessions cont.

* On the other hand, if you think you might need to step out early, sit in the back.* Ask questions. * Take notes! * Network, network,network!

Exhibit Hall

* Visit Your vendors. They are people too. * Give them constructive feedback & ask questions. They'll appreciate it.* Thank them for attending.* Register for prizes.
* Enjoy the goodies, but remember your weight limit.* Remember last day discounts & freebies. It will be busy, have a game plan.* Pace yourself. Don't try it all out in one go.

*Look exhibitor list BEFOREhand. Stopping at booths of vendors you already use in order to discuss things you like and / suggest changes. Look for people you correspond with regularly at that company, and introduce yourself so that you can both put names to faces. Vendors are people too. Give them constructive feedback, if you have it. Play nice.* Whatever you pick up will add to your weight limit. sometimes a business card is sufficient to find the information you wanted later. Bring some freebies back for the folks who werent lucky enough to go to the conference.* Dont forget to register for the contestsyou may win a prize. *Publishing companies' books for sale. Remember the weight &/or last day bargains. * Pace yourself. Again, you don't have to see everything or talk to everyone. Glance at the exhibitors list before going in, if you have a particular plan. Otherwise, let it go.* Thank our exhibitors & vendors who support us, especially in these tough economic times.

Other fun...

* Business meetings * Meal events* Receptions* Resume service and job advice* Tourism* SLEEP! Don't get grumpy.

* Business meetings are open to everyone, whether you are a part of that particular roundtable or section. If you're interested in understanding more about how the association works, go.

Networking...

* Utilize lunch and dinner periods.* Meet someone new at every single session you attend. * Pass out your business cards like candy & collect others' like a game. *If you see someone you know, say hi, but respect their time. Don't be offended, if they have to run.* Ask Your questions. Find a mentor.

*MEALS: Utilize lunch and dinner periods to meet with people with whom you might like to work or need to connect with in the future. Go to lunch & network. It's worth the financial investment.* CARDS: door prizes or simple networking. Write a reminder on the back of others' cards to remind yourself of their story. Some say it's bad etiquette to do it in front, but do it in a timely fashion.

Home again, home again...

* Go through your souvenirs, post-haste. * If you took photos, send copies to those in the pics &/or tag them online. * Your brain is exploding with ideas. Write a summary for your boss, colleagues, blog &c.* Join the TLA & roundtable/section listservs, if you aren't there already.* Create a tickler file for any presentation ideas you had for next year. Application time is fall.

* Try to go through everything you brought back with you and carry through on your plans for it make notes, file, distribute, share, trash, whatever. If everything sits in totes for months, you'll forget what was so special about it that you just had to carry it around with you all day. I usually look people up on Facebook, LinkedIn or at least email within the next month when I get home.* If you took photos, send copies to those in the pics and/or tag them online. Let them know you remember them. Of course, respect any requests for non-publication.*NOTES: You may even want to write a summary for boss when you get back or even an article for a publication, such as TN Libraries. It will help you retain whatever you've learned on your grand adventure. Especially if they paid for your trip- give them a ROI.

General tips, tricks, &
sleight of hand

* Make notes of Later's follow-up tasks, but enjoy the Moment more.* Dont consume too many high-caffeine beverages or alcohol.* Recharge your battery as much as you can.- Take a walk outside or go running or exercise. - Get off your feet. - Water is your friend.* Be flexible!

* There are a lot of events for learning and networking, but to be the most effective make sure you take time to relax and rejuvenate. Schedule a little down time (or personal time) to just get off your feet and relax briefly. This can be a real boost at recharging your battery.

"Listen, explore, dare, speak up, participate, volunteer, mentor, recruit, smile, party, sleep!"-- SLA. org

Other suggestions?

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