What Are Conferences Actually For?

Let’s begin with a quote from Steve Jobs:

There is no such thing as a good or bad conference, there’s only the conference you did or didn’t make the most of.

While you let that thought sink in properly, I’d like to point out a common denominator I’ve noticed in how people see these types of gatherings, ultimately they misunderstand conferences and, therefore, don’t get the most out of them. I get the impression that most people don’t pay much attention to conferences and, when they do, their expectations are unrealistic.

Conferences aren’t organized just for the fun of it. They purpose is not to get away from work and meet up with acquaintances. You won’t have a new ‘hands-on’ knowledge after the conference, and you won’t be ready to refactorise your project that same night. And stop asking, “what does this conference do for me?” Step away from the role of being a passive observer and become an active participant by asking, “what do I want to get out of this conference?”

So here is a guide on how to plan your time before, during and after the conference:

Every conference starts before its official launch date

The point of all that time beforehand is to prepare. Yes, prepare.

Study the conference programme — it seems obvious but we tend to take it for granted. The programme will help you to set a goal: what do you want to gain at this conference. Once you have that figured out, plan out how you’re going to achieve your goal. Your personal conference schedule should be flexible, always choose a parallel session as a back-up as the main sessions sometimes ‘slip away’ for whatever reason.

Try not to miss the keynote speakers or any other events intended for all participants. Also, it is always a good idea to include talks by industry leaders, regardless of the subject area.

Get involved in the community around the conference — the other participants are just as important as the speakers! Find out who’s going to be attending the conference — some of them could be future clients or employers. Try to follow those media outlets that are covering the conference to get a good idea of the kind of people it’s likely to attract.

In that same spirit, share your participation. Get involved in online discussions with speakers and other participants: ask questions, share your expectations, find out more details. In short, start building relationships. If necessary, introduce yourself to a speaker in advance and let them know you will attend their session or even invite them for a coffee when they’re not presenting.

Plan your questions in advance. Lots and lots of questions. Make a list of speakers and participants you want to chat to and prepare clear and direct questions for them.

Plan your answers too :) Always be ready to say what you do clearly and succinctly, to say what tech you use daily and so on. That way you won’t waste time thinking up an answer during a conversation.

Make sure you have enough business cards ready. We may be living in a digital era but business cards are still the easiest way to present your contact information.

Change your mindset. For so many reasons, most of us do not easily approach strangers and start talking. As you’re prepping for the conference try to make a ‘shift’ away from this and replace discomfort and personal uncertainty with an acceptance that the conference is a professional obligation and try to focus on that instead.

The circus is finally in town!

The early bird… doesn’t wait in line. Don’t lose time on trivial admin procedures. However well a conference is organized, things can always get crowded, especially during registration. Avoid this by showing up early.

Spread out. If you’re coming with a group of colleagues, there’s no point in you all going to sessions together. Instead, split up and cover as many sessions as possible. Be sure to agree ‘gathering spots’ so you can meet up throughout the day to briefly share your most important impressions.

Talk to the speakers. Chances are they are experts in their field and highly experienced. Don’t be too shy to approach them and ask them questions, they are there for you. What’s more, you should try to spend time with them, introduce yourself and exchange business cards. It’s unbelievable how much can be learned even from a short chat after a session and speakers aren’t always able to share their most valuable experiences and opinions on stage.

Meet everybody you encounter! Try to introduce yourself to everyone you come across. Sure, focus on the people you planned to meet but don’t miss the chance to chat with everyone else who comes your way. One of the main things the conference gives you is an insight into how others think and that’s priceless.

Talk less, listen more. Absorb. Discover. Ask. Learn. Explore. Listen. Always keep a question up your sleeve that you can use to get a casual conversation going. For example, “what are you working on right now?”, “have you worked on anything interesting recently?”, “which of the other sessions have impressed you?” and so forth.

Find time for yourself. Conferences can be difficult and stressful events. Give yourself time for a breather and to be by yourself.

Remember what you’ve learned. Take notes, write, draw, on paper or electronically, it doesn’t matter. Use whatever method works for you to organise and structure your thoughts and experiences and to make sure you’re keeping track of what you planned. Try to remember the essence of what you gleaned from the conference. If you can, round off each day with a quick summary of your conclusions, ideas and thoughts — especially if the conference goes on for more than a day.

Back to reality.

Get in touch with everyone you met during the conference. Whether you got their business card, Twitter handle or Facebook, try to get in touch with them during the first week or two after the conference. Send them a short, personal message relating to what you talked about or just carry on talking about it. Don’t wait for too much time to pass as speakers frequently have other conferences to attend.

Share, share, share. Once you’ve summed up everything you learned during the conference and when all your impressions have settled, make sure you share it all. Make a brief presentation to colleagues at your company, write a blog piece, get out into your community. Sharing your experiences of the conference is extremely valuable and, if nothing else, it can prompt others to do the same when they come back from some great event.

And Finally

Whether it’s a conference or a smaller half-day event, try to get the most out of it for your sake. Even though the quote at the beginning isn’t really from Steve Jobs, try to remember it and use it.

Original text in Serbian is available at Oblac.rs