Convention Tips—Dos and Don'ts

March/April 1993 

Want to make the most of your convention trip?

Well, it's convention time again. Time to brush up on the latest industry management techniques, check out new equipment developments, renew old acquaintances, meet new contacts—and even take in a bit of relaxation at the same time.

Ever wonder, though, how to get the most out of the event? If so, use the following suggestions to help you take advantage of the opportunities the convention can offer.

• Make appointments with colleagues. If you want to talk shop with colleagues you haven't seen in a while, call them beforehand and arrange to meet for lunch or a drink sometime during the event. Or, if you don't get a chance to call in advance, as soon as you arrive, try to schedule a get-together.
• Bring show-and-tell items. If you've had any unusual accomplishments or successes over the past year, bring copies or samples along to pass around. These might include awards your company has received, manuals or promotional pieces you've put together, or even special scrap finds.
• Conduct a personal "needs analysis." Think about the problems and challenges you've faced over the last year—and keep these in mind as you select which workshops and seminars you'll attend during the convention. This can also help guide you on the best path through the exhibit hall.
• Prepare a master convention portfolio. Your master portfolio or folder should contain a convention schedule in which you've highlighted the workshops you'll attend, a map of the exhibition and meeting room facilities, notepaper, your show-and-tell materials, and any other information you might need regularly. Carry your folder with you throughout the convention.
• Carry an ample supply of business cards at all times. You never know when you'll have the opportunity to discuss a business deal, acquire information from an acquaintance, or set up post-convention business. From your handy supply, you can hand out cards to anyone who might need or want your address and telephone number later. And don't forget: A personal note or reference you jot on your business card will be kept much longer than a note on a piece of scrap paper.
• Bring along your appointment calendar. You never know, too, when you might have the opportunity to set up an important meeting with a vendor or colleague. If you do carry your appointment calendar, be sure it fits in your pocket; that's the best way to guard against its loss.
• Know something about the presenters before you attend their workshops. Read about workshop and seminar leaders in the convention program. Learn about their backgrounds and interests, and you'll better prepare yourself for their presentations. It'll also help you make conversation before or after their sessions, should you have the opportunity to chat.
• Sit in a strategic location during workshops. Sit where you can gain a clear, unobstructed view of the speaker—and where you can offer the speaker nonverbal feedback during his or her presentation. For most people, this means sitting near the front of the room.
• Bring a sweater to meetings. You may be in Florida , but that doesn't guarantee you warm weather inside the hotel. The convention events are held in "climate-controlled" rooms, which, while comfortable to some, may feel too warm or too chilly to others. With a sweater or jacket, you can dress to match your own comfort level.
• Don't be afraid to ask questions. A good workshop will always leave you brimming with new information and ideas. But remember, a workshop also gives you the opportunity to ask questions of experts and colleagues, and add even more value to the gathering.
• Don't take too many notes. That's right. Watch out for excess notetaking. Your natural inclination during a convention session might be to take notes on just about everything you hear. But notebooks overly packed with data and information will only end up in your file cabinet or closet, never to be read again. Take notes on key points only. These brief, power-packed notes will be a lot more useful to you when you're back at your desk.
• Keep an idea log. Your idea log should be separate from your general seminar notes. In this log, enter useful items to research or follow up on. Carry the log with you at all times, even when you're not in formal seminars—and enter ideas as they're triggered by someone's comments. Later, you can use the log as an "action" resource.
• Make action notes. When you promise to follow up on a colleague's request, write yourself an action note—and place it in your wallet or appointment calendar. Your action notes will become an important part of your post-convention agenda.
• Meet as many speakers and presenters as possible. Perhaps you can converse with a speaker for a few minutes after his or her talk or arrange to meet for lunch. Keep you personal needs analysis in mind as you discuss issues with speakers. Listen for one or two great ideas or suggestions during these conversations.
• Visit exhibitors twice. During your first visit, make a casual note of the products and services offered by exhibitors. Pick up literature. Ask a few questions. Later, study the material you gathered, make a list of more detailed questions, and plan for a return visit the next day—when you'll be prepared to study specific products in greater depth.
• Always wear your name tag. The more you're noticed, the more opportunities you'll have for interaction with your peers. And attaching your "commodity stickers" will make you more visible to those you might be able to do business with.
• Stand in a strategic spot in between meetings and before and after receptions. Strategic spots might include a location 15 or 20 feet from elevator doors, near the entrances to workshops, or near the restroom corridor—wherever a large number of people are likely to pass or congregate. Here, you'll have the opportunity to meet and talk with a large number of people.
• Get enough rest and exercise. Don't kid yourself: Almost any change in your routine can be tiring, even stressful. Conventions, which are so full of stimulation and physical activity, can be doubly tiring. Try to maintain as close to a normal work schedule as possible, and be sure to get as close to a good night's sleep as possible each day of the convention. Exercise can also help keep your mind and body on balance, so you may want to take advantage of the hotel's health spa or the convention golf and tennis activities.
• Save your receipts. Most convention expenses are tax-deductible (including meals, which are usually 85-percent deductible). Save all receipts to document your deductions. When you don't get a receipt, say for a taxi ride or admission fee, make a diary note of the expense and its purpose.
• See the sights. The conventions site offers you the opportunity to visit all kinds of new sights. If possible, identify the key attractions you want to see, before you arrive. Once there, carefully budget your time for local travel.
• Share your knowledge and insights with others. Before you depart for home, make a list of key insights you've gained—and resolve to share them with those back in the office. The result: You'll get an even greater return on the time and money you invested in the convention, and you'll build goodwill among your office colleagues.

The convention can bring you personal and professional renewal. Seize the opportunities it offers, and it will bring you tremendous benefits long after you return home.