2 weeks
+ 3 cities
+ 3 conferences
+ 12 info sessions and seminars
+ 7 dinners
+ 5 cocktail mixers and dance parties
+ 100 or so new people met
——————————————
= conference hangover!

Yes, I’m finally home.  Bleary-eyed, weary, and a little achy.  The mere thought of the work piling up at the office, let alone all the conference notes, brochures and business cards stuffed into all the suitcases, bags and purses I shuffled through is finally guilting me out of my procrastination.

Conference hangovers, got to love them!  They seriously do feel like the real thing, you just have a lot more work to do to after.

Instead of complaining, or lamenting over how I pushed myself too hard (again), I’ve decided to take a counter intuitive approach to this update and actually encourage anyone serious about building their career to aim to achieve conference hangovers of your own.   Yes, I’m serious.  Allow me to explain.

Going to a conference is a big deal for most people because there’s a lot involved: time, money, contacts, events, maybe a little awkwardness or fear of the unknown, factoring in what you’re missing while you’re away, etc.  The payoff, though, can be significant: visibility, new connections, business development, best practices, continuing education, validation, renewed excitement, etc.  Frankly, I’m dumbfounded that more people don’t go to conferences that could so clearly impact their lives and work.  But that’s another issue.

Personally, I’m pretty hard core. When I manage to show up, I dig in…deep.  I try to experience everything these business bonanzas have to offer.  And frankly, I really do believe that a conference hangover (the right kind that is) is the best way to ensure that you’ve maximized your ROI from an event.

While I could write volumes on how to attack a conference, allow me to instead break down how to achieve a conference hangover of your own and why you might want to strive for one at your next big event.  I’m not suggesting I want you to get sick from overdoing it, but odds are you could be experiencing all a conference has to offer at a whole new level.

1.  Pre-Plan. Spend time before you get there scouring the official conference site, brochure and even related online groups to identify all the things you’d be interested in seeing and attending. Highlight everything that sparks your interest and create your own a la carte schedule of options, starting from early morning to the wee hours of the night parties. Also read up on the speaker bios and determine who you want to meet.  Try to memorize what they look like if you can in case you bump into them.

2.  Arrive Early. Get into town and settled as early as possible so you can get a lay of the land.  Get to know your hotel, or whatever will serve as your home base. Make friends with the hotel staff – they’ll remember you and watch out for you during your stay. Figure out where you are, and how to get back and forth to everything you need to go to.

3.  Hit the ATM. Or front desk to make sure you have enough cash to get around and tip anyone you need to. I try to keep at least $100 on me in cash – a few $20s, few $5s and at least $10-20 in $1s. This is a simple step that ensures you don’t get slowed down, you can get help when you need it, and frankly, it just makes everything a bit smoother along the way. (Whatever you do, don’t forget your license/passport and credit card!)

4.  Hit the Ground Running. Spend the first day attending the opening sessions, parties, and mixers so you’ll know what to expect. You’ll get a sense of the tone, dress, demeanor, and level of intensity. Touch base with anyone you already know or have talked to on the phone or online. Then turn on your charm and network like crazy!!!! Be as proactive as you can in introducing yourself to strangers, asking about what not to miss, and getting tips from people who have been there before.  Meeting people early on is critical to building your confidence and ensuring you have friends to sit next to, hang out with and introduce you to others.  Just figure the more people who know you, the more fun you can have!

5.  Become a sponge. Attend the critical sessions you wanted to see and add in a few others to learn all that the speakers have to offer.  Don’t forget to introduce yourself to them after, too. These are also great places to connect with others who share your same interests or issues.  Some of the best contacts you’ll make are with others in the audience, if you end up chatting.

6.  Network. Don’t forget that as valuable as the educational programming is, the networking with industry leaders, professionals and peers is invaluable.  Make sure you stick around for the coffee breaks, social mixers, and any other times where people are gathered together.  And don’t let yourself run out of business cards (I see it all the time)!!!

7.  Stay Focused. If you do run back to your room, don’t get distracted by emails, calls, or work you have to do back home and lose track of why you’re at the conference in the first place.  Take quick naps if you can or need to, but this is not the time to slack off…until your business is accomplished.

8.  No Room Service. As much as you might be eager to crawl in bed and order room service or sneak out for a quiet bite, get yourself out to the evening events where the who’s who hangs out with their friends, fans and peers.  Have fun meeting new people, making introductions, talking shop, laughing and bonding with people.

9.  Say Yes! If you get an invite to a special dinner, event or group outing with some cool people, go!  Little group excursions often turn into the most interesting experiences.  You can always go for a half an hour and leave if it’s not worth it.  But this is how contacts turn into friendships and even partnerships or clients.

10.  Pack Heavy. Collect all the interesting magazines, books, trend reports, conference schedules, brochures and other literature you come across that can open your mind up to other possibilities and opportunities.  Save the business cards you get and make notes on the back so you remember who was who.  Then start following up as early as while you’re still there, but at latest in the next week.

11.  Knock Yourself Out. Don’t stop until you’ve seen it all, talked to everyone, or simply just ware out. If you’re able, book an extra night at the hotel so you can sleep and review your notes before you head back to real life. Otherwise, plan on dragging your weary conference hung over self onto the plane or train and collapse once you’re home.  You might feel achy for a few days, but you’ll still find yourself cracking a smile over who you met, how much you learned, all that you accomplished, and of course the fun you had!

Hey everyone,

Well the beginning of fall has kicked off another non stop travel season for me here, and I’m sure the rest of you are feeling a similar sensation of ramping up in your own lives.

Last week I hit my first big conference in a while – BlogWorld in Las Vegas. It was such a blast and I can’t begin to type fast enough to share all that I learned, but rest assured, over the coming days you’ll be seeing a lot from me on it.  I’ve got a great video piece on technology coming first, then an article on the state of the bloggosphere, and one more on what you need to do to get the most out
of your next conference.

And since I’m now on another plane (albeit a little weary) to the Publicity Summit you can be sure I’ll have some juicy new tips for you on getting media attention next week.

So keep your eyes peeled and feel free to share anything you like or that’s extra helpful to you with your friends, followers or colleagues. (Just respect the rules of Creative Commons please).

Hope your Fall is off to a fab start. If not, stick close to us and we’ll help make sure your next success is just a few more steps away.

Here’s to your success,
Jen

PS: Don’t forget to ask us about the chance to have me speak for your group in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America or Australia for free before December 15th, 2009.

We all have topics or subject areas that we could stand to learn more about or brush up on. Even those of us who are constantly reading, listening to podcasts, attending conferences and debating industry leaders, are challenged by the daunting task of keeping up with the latest and greatest insights.

Let’s face it, establishing and maintaining expertise in any subject takes a real investment of time, energy and often resources. Knowledge, still is, and will always be, a source of enormous power…not to mention, competitive advantage.

Formal education is the most logical first step to gaining this kind of advantage; But it doesn’t end there.  In fact, learning becomes most interesting when it is not only applied to the real world, but enhanced and challenged by actual experience.

Have you ever read a classic piece of literature once when you were a kid, and again years later as an adult?  Your whole perspective evolved, didn’t it?  Well that’s what happens with any kind of learning situation.  The more life and work experience you amass the more comprehensive your understanding of new information and insights becomes. Some might argue that the whole act of learning gets all the more exciting.

Complacency is fine when you’re on vacation or enjoying a lazy afternoon at home, but when it comes to building your career, it can be the kiss of death.  If you’re looking to build your credibility and earn more respect, or yes even money, make sure you’re taking your continuing education seriously.  Just don’t get stuck thinking of learning as something that has to happen in a traditional academic institution.

Check out weekend seminars, workshops, day trips, distance learning, internships, new jobs, weekend volunteering, books, or even mentors to start, you’re sure to find at least some basic information to get you started. Then engage.

You can study just about anything these days in a myriad of different places, formats, mediums and timeframes. You can chose how and where you learn to make sure it’s most engaging and interesting to you so you’re incentivized to keep adding to what you know.

Regardless of whether you have a job to contend with or some time off coming that you want to put to good use, think about what kind of commitment you can make and survey your options. Whatever you have to work with, there are lots of ways you can start to get the more intense education and experience you need. Some options to consider:

Short- Term:
Boot camps
Resort courses
Workshops
Conferences
Expos
Summer programs
Camps
Tutoring
Books, workbooks, kits

Part-Time:
Night or weekend classes
Extension program
Online courses
Counseling
Home-study programs

Long Haul:
Distance learning
Masters or advanced degrees
Total immersion programs
Leadership training
Management programs
New job

Now figure out what you need to learn and get out there! New information is everywhere. Sop up new insights, studies, trends and topics like butter on a biscuit.  (Sorry, I just love saying that!)  Your credibility, respect, expertise, and success depend on it!