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• Social networking. Get involved in the community, join the Gooruzes, Linkedins and other great forums & networking sites and participate. Once at the conference seek out your new friends.

• Research the presenters. Find out who interests you and shares similar ideals. There were several sessions I am still kicking myself for not attending.

• Get invited. Through your social networking tap some people and find out what is going on outside the conference. Or sit in your hotel room. Up to you.

• Questions. Make a list of questions you have. As the conference progresses, revisit that list and note your answers. If you’re not finding your answers, ASK!

• Blogs. There will be quite a few posts prior to the event. Read them, respond, and post your own.

• Take notes: More than likely you will have to report back to someone more important than yourself and it’s hard to build that power point a month later from memory. Be impressive and confident with your report out and increase your odds of getting sent back next year. “How did the conference add value to your company”!

• Goal: What is your goal? What do you hope to take away from the conference? Networking? Information? Job ops? As with everything create a game plan for accomplishing your goal.
  

Now that you have your friends, you know who you want to see, questions are in-hand, and you remembered to buy your flight ticket what items would be most helpful?

• Extra laptop batteries. There were some plug-ins but they were quickly filled.
• All your trinkets, MP3, cell phone, Palm, Berry, whatever helps you make it through the day.
• A comfortable bag for all your day items. That bag that only fits your laptop that you carry into and out of work may not suffice and your shoulder will ache at the end of the day. Explore a backpack or messenger bag.
• Need I say business cards?
  

Hopefully this will help in your first time conference preparations and perhaps, for those who conferences are old hat, will add to this list!

Troy Lightfield