I Survived a Conference Weekend (And You Can Too)
Tips to make it through long hours, short breaks, and networking if you’re an introvert.
During one of the first sessions of the conference I was at the weekend before last in Chicago, one of my fellow attendees said something I’ve felt during nearly every new project I’ve embarked on:
“I don’t know what I don’t know.”
The session was focusing on how first timers at the IBPA Publishing University could get the most out of the weekend’s full schedule of panels, expert seminars, one-on-one consultations, and other opportunities. While I had been at full-day conventions before, I’d never traveled far from home for a multi-day conference.
I’m an introvert by nature. I love people — I love collaborating, and learning about the expertise they have developed in their own experience. But I also generally need alone time to recharge.
I signed up for everything. Whether pre- or post-conference event, I filled my schedule for those four days, ticking the box of a session for each time slot, and even writing down a backup for a few. I wanted to do it all — the descriptions just sounded so fantastically interesting.
