Dinah Hampson, Dance Physiotherapist, Pivot Dancer, Founder
Conferences provide a lot more opportunities than the educational programs they offer. I try to attend 1-2 professional education events a year and have found that over the past 3 decades of doing so, I have learned how to make the most of each event. The two dance science conferences I attend regularly are the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science meeting and the Performing Arts Medicine Association meeting. If you have never attended a professional event of this sort, than you are in for a treat! You are also likely to feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and return home remembering 10% of what you attended.
Following these tips will help you to take advantage of everything you can, and really enjoy each event to its fullest.
-
Add some travel time
-
Plan your schedule in advance.
-
Wear layers
-
Use a handy notes tool like “onenote”
-
Bring something for people to remember you by
-
Ask questions
-
Follow up
1. Add some travel time
Travel is often a bonus to attending a professional event. In fact, when you look at what professional events you might want to attend, look at where they are and in part, make your registration decisions based on location. Travel can be fun and beneficial, but it can also be expensive and time consuming. Most professional events will publish their upcoming locations for at least the next two years. Looking ahead is a good way to see if you’d like to add some personal travel to your professional event. This is a great way to travel economically as professional events are considered professional education and have tax advantages associated with the money it costs you to attend. On that note, even if you can only spare 1-2 extra days, arrive early enough to adjust to any time changes.
Sleeping through a conference is a waste of money and a source of stress. The programs are pretty full days of sitting and learning. The evenings are usually dinners and conference social events. The schedule plus sleeping away from home can equal exhaustion. Be sure to leave yourself a little downtime post conference too so that when you return home you can jump back into your regular life well rested.
2. Plan your schedule in advance.
Planning your schedule in advance ensures you can prioritize the talks and workshops. You don’t want to find out afterwards that you missed something you really wanted to learn about because it was in a separate building or held during lunch. Professional programs are released before the event. This allows you to read up on each session and make your list. It’s a little old school but sometimes printing the program out can help give you a good visual that you can also write notes on for reminders. Most professional events now offer access to session recordings after the event. This is a good thing to know so you can keep a list of sessions you won’t attend in person but would be happy to watch afterwards. At Pivot Dancer we usually host Dancer Chat Groups before and after conferences which is a great opportunity to pick your colleagues’ brains about what sessions they are excited to see and opportunity to continue the post conference learning together afterwards.
3. Wear Layers
Layers! I sound like my mother when I say “wear layers” but this is actually really important. Lecture theaters are generally cold, workshop rooms are generally hot. You’ll want professional attire if you’re presenting and active attire if you’re participating in a workshop. Perhaps common sense but you’ll appreciate it when you’re there. I also recommend Apolla socks for compression and comfort. Your feet will be much happier, warm and supported.
4. Take Notes!
Note taking tools like “onenote” make it easy to create workbooks for each day and folders for each session. When presentations are as short as 10 minutes you need to jot down points of interest and attach any photos of interest quickly. If you’ve completed the planning recommendation you can preload your notebook with; the sessions you plan to attend, the topic and names of the presenters. Be sure to record the speaker’s contact information for the “follow-up” step. You don’t have to record the whole presentation. Just the pearls that you know will be important to you and will jog your memory for the rest of the presentation content.
5. Bring Something for People to Remember you By
Swag, bring some swag; business cards, stickers, t-shirts. Whatever you feel comfortable giving away that offers a lasting connection with people you’d like to remember you. Everyone likes treats. Treats that represent you, where you are from and what you do are appropriate give aways. There are some wonderful apps that create digital business cards which are super fun and easy to share via a QR code. Pivot Dancer is cobranded with lululemon and we love our swag. Find something that speaks to you and then share it with others.
7. Ask Questions
Ask questions – presenters love to talk about their area of interest and as a presenter it is so validating when the audience is interested and has follow up questions. It is comforting to know that someone was listening and that someone is curious to know more. There really isn’t a bad question. A good presenter will use even the worst question as an opportunity to tell you a little extra about their work. Ask your peers questions. Professional events are rare opportunities to be in the same room with like-minded people from around the world. Use the chance to problem solve challenging situations at home and to find resources that you might not have known about. Talk to the event sponsors. These groups support the events and are there because they have something of interest to show you. Even if they have a product or service that you are unlikely to use, knowing more about their business might be useful information for you to share with someone else. Plus, sponsors are critical for keeping professional events running for the benefit of YOU.
7. Follow Up
Following up after the event has concluded is a perfect way to convert contacts into meaningful connections. I find after events are over, I have time to reflect and think of things I didn’t at the time because my brain was too full. I follow new contacts on social media and Linkedin. If I have their phone number or email I send a personal note and attach any photos I might have of them at the event. I have made many friends and colleagues this way. Following up has even resulted in future projects and collaborative presentations at future events.
I hope you find this helpful and if you would like to add me to your network, follow me @dinahhampson & @pivotdancer. Reach out and say hi.
