Conference tips for you and your team

By Arlene Moss

We’re headed back to in-person conferences. Some of you have already ventured forth, but for many this fall marks the real return to the conference scene. Make sure you are ready to make the most of it.

Maximizing the benefit of spending your time and money means planning ahead, taking care of yourself during the event, communicating expectations to your team and clients, and following up so that the lessons you learn have a lasting impact on your business.

Before the conference

Start by selecting the conferences based on what you truly need for yourself and your business. How does it support your strategic mission or your staff development needs? Are the topics aimed at your current or desired client base? Who should attend? Your whole team can go and leverage your efforts, or you can each focus on a conference and plan to report back to one another.

Once you have registered, create a strategy. Remember why you chose to attend this conference. What do you want to take away? What is the goal for the trip? Review the agenda and plan the sessions you’ll attend.

Set reminders in advance so that you don’t accidentally skip sessions because you lost track of time. You may still find that a great conversation keeps you from a session, but you want to be aware of it, not just drift through the week.

Download the conference app ahead of time. Build your schedule there. Use its features to keep you on track and help you connect with other attendees. (For example, the NAPFA conference app provides lists of attendees, speakers, and exhibitors and lets you message people through the app to make appointments.) Peruse the attendee and exhibitor list to determine with whom you want to meet—and don’t let the good swag drive your exhibit hall agenda.

Plan ahead to meet specific people. Do not say, “See you there” or “We’ll just find a corner while we are there”—get the schedule and agree on a time. It’s too easy for the week to get away from you if you just let things happen.

Coordinate with your teammates for maximum coverage of the sessions important to each of you and to your firm. Plan a cross-training session after the conference to share all you have learned and to identify pertinent follow-up actions.

At the conference

Don’t do other work while you’re at the conference (setting an out-of-office message on email helps). Take lots of notes in the sessions and remember you have planned a team debrief, so you need to share the important points and best takeaways.

At the same time, we know that sessions aren’t the only impact of a conference. Be in the moment, ready for the spontaneous extra value that happens in the hallways.

Make notes on all of the cards and fliers you pick up. Then review those notes that evening—if you don’t stay out too late (BONUS TIP: Don’t stay out too late)—or in the morning with a fresh cup of coffee. Make sure you understand your scribbles so that when you review your notes back in the office, you don’t scratch your head and wonder what you meant.

Use your phone if folks don’t give you their business card. You can snap a photo, pop it into your customer relationship management software, and leave the impression you are willing to go the extra mile to connect.

Take care of yourself so that your energy holds up. Whatever your dietary needs, take them into account when you are packing. Bring your own snacks. Not every conference serves food on your schedule. (I find if I get too hungry, then I want to take on the snack buffet like Cookie Monster and it isn’t pretty!)

Bring breakfast if you need to. I pack oatmeal and protein bars for an early breakfast. If I get up at 6 a.m. to work out and breakfast isn’t until 8, I am likely to roll over, go back to sleep, and wait for breakfast rather than exercise on an empty stomach. Starting the day with a high-carb breakfast is also a recipe for disaster for me, so I eat some protein right off the bat.

Don’t drink too much, unless it’s water. You will have some wonderful conversations late in the evening, but if you are too tipsy your memory of them will be shaky. Even if you are exhausted when you get to your room you can jot down notes—but if you are drunk, it is a whole new level of challenge. Bring your own water bottle (or find the swag ASAP!). Using my own water bottle helps me track how much I am actually drinking and keeps me from continually visiting the coffee station. Which leads to my last food tip: Don’t drink all the coffee offered! (Okay, maybe this one is just for me.) You will sleep better, you won’t need to worry about sucking down peppermints after every cup to keep coffee breath at bay, and you’ll stay better hydrated, which makes you generally feel better.

Pace yourself. If you need a break to rebuild your energy, go to your room or find a quiet corner. Do not expect to magically become an extrovert for the week. That said, don’t wimp out. You can binge the final season of Ozark later. You are attending for a reason, so push yourself to follow through to get the most out of this limited time with your colleagues.

After the conference

When you get back to the office, follow up quickly. I always think I will remember people forever, but the reality is I can sometimes find a misplaced card and have no idea who it is! Rapid follow-up helps solidify the memory of your interactions to get more lasting value out of the relationships.

Review your notes from the sessions while they are fresh in your mind. Prepare for your debrief with the team. If you don’t have a team, review your notes anyway, adding actions you plan to take. Transfer those actions into whatever project management tool you use so they actually get done.

Final note, have fun! It’s going to be great to reconnect with old friends and meet new colleagues. I hope to see you all soon.

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Arlene Moss is executive business coach of XY Planning Network LLC. Arlene works with members as they create and grow sustainable businesses. Through one-on-one coaching and consulting, she provides the support needed to overcome the challenges that come with entrepreneurship. Contact arlene@xyplanningnetwork.com.

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