How to attend a conference

January 22nd, 2008

Hello there! Thanks for stopping by. If you are new you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed subscribe to the RSS feed or subscribe by email from the right-hand sidebar.

The spring round of industry conferences is coming up, and if you are going to one, here are some tips to bear in mind.

Take the minimum amount of stuff with you. You won’t need a notebook: any good conference organiser will provide copies of slides and blank paper for notes. So don’t load yourself up with unnecessary things and keep your handbag small.

One exception to that rule: if you are going to a big event where there will be stalls, pack a collapsible bag for all your freebies and documents. You won’t be able to walk past a stall without getting a host of leaflets (and samples if you are lucky) thrust at you. Even if you are just going to a day of sit-down lectures, there will still be lecture notes, pens and company flyers for you to take away.

Wear your name badge. Just accept the fact that people will then have an excuse to stare at your breasts. Never pin your badge to your waistband.

Take business cards to hand out at every opportunity, and so you don’t look stupid when someone gives you theirs and you can’t pass them one back. Write a description of the person on the back (when they aren’t looking, obviously) so that when you get home you have a fighting chance at remembering who was who.

I’ll be going to the International Congress for Project, Programme and Risk Management at the beginning of next month in London. There are some great speakers lined up: Eddie Obeng, Richard Pharro, Richard Reeves, and I’m sure Liz Underhill’s case study of the London 2012 Olympics is going to be interesting. The two-day event includes a programme of free activities so if you are in the area and can’t attend the whole thing, you could stop by to join a project management seminar, find out more about PRINCE2:2009 or take part in a discussion group. Maybe I’ll see you there…

Happy conference season!

Conference slides now online Last month I presented at the International Congress for Project, Programme and Risk Management, a Best Practice User Group event for PRINCE2 Practioners and other...
Conference presentations There will be no posts for two weeks: I’m taking a holiday. I have a few more notes to write up from the BPUG congress...
APM Conference I’ll be speaking at the Association for Project Management conference in London later this month. I’m on the agenda for the first day, Wednesday 29...

4 people have left a comment on this post

» Vladimír said: { 29 Jan, 2008 - 09:01 }

What do you exactly mean with “minimum amount of stuff”? There are huge differences between one day conference and four days in the middle of nowhere!

» Elizabeth said: { 30 Jan, 2008 - 08:01 }

Ah, you can take whatever you can carry to a residential event. What I meant was streamline your handbag to carry into the conference hall itself – women tend to lug around huge bags. This is what is in mine at the moment: BlackBerry, mobile phone, keys, purse, diary, novel to read on the tube, USB stick, tissues, make up (5 items), glasses cleaner, map, pens (2), pencil, tube ticket, gloves. I work with people who have children’s toys in their bags, so I consider myself someone who travels light. Even so, I don’t need all that stuff for the conference next week!