PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 14, 2020

1. PLAN EARLY

It’s never too soon to start planning a conference trip. In addition to securing the best deals on airfare and hotels, many conferences offer “early bird” registration fees, meaning savvy attendees can save hundreds of dollars just by registering months in advance. That said, booking early comes with its own risks: Most conferences don’t offer refunds, so those registration fees could be lost if something unexpected comes up in the months between now and the event.

2. PRINT THE SCHEDULE IN ADVANCE

Don’t waste precious conference time figuring out which events you want to attend. Most conferences publish their schedule well before the actual event, so you’ll have plenty of time to organize a game plan. Divide your schedule into three categories: “Absolute Must Attend,” “Would Like to Attend,” and “Nice to Attend IF I Have Time/Energy.” Save your energy for the first category, make an effort to squeeze in a few events in the second category, and don’t sweat missing any events in the third category. Attending a conference is a marathon, not a sprint, and you don’t want to get burnt out attending every possible session on your very first day.

3. WORK THAT HASHTAG

Nearly every conference has an official conference hashtag these days. Use it before the event to connect with fellow attendees and during the event to share photos or things you’ve learned. It’s also a useful way to see where everyone’s meeting up after-hours.

4. POWER UP

Planning on live-tweeting, taking notes on your phone, or shooting video? Bring a portable phone battery to stay fully charged all day long – outlets are usually either hard to find or in high demand at conferences.

5. SLOW YOUR ROLL (WHEN YOU MEET AN AGENT/EDITOR)

Stuck in an elevator, bar line, or airport shuttle with an agent or an editor? That’s great… as long as you don’t start shoving your pitch or manuscript at them. Cornering an industry professional is a pretty great way to make a pretty terrible first impression. Instead, strike up a conversation just as you would any other attendee, and feel free to later mention your encounter in a query letter to help put a face to your name.

6. BRING SNACKS

Sessions run long. Concession stand lines can run even longer. You never know when you have a mere five minutes in between panels to grab something to eat, so stock your conference bag with refreshments that are easy to eat on the go. Granola bars, non-chocolate candy, dried fruit, and mixed nuts are all tried-and-true conference favorites.

I hope you enjoyed this helpful article from The Writer. Enjoy your Tuesday, be safe, be healthy, be blessed.