Newcomers Activate!
‘Tis the season! Nope, not a season of sleigh bells or dreidels, or seven candles, flag waving, or champagne toasts. For those of us who work in international student mobility, international education conferences have begun for the new year. Attending a conference, whether small or large, can be an inspiring and transformative experience. I’ve attended quite a few conferences. I see the evidence as I type this. Numerous ID badges are hanging from my bookshelf. And if you are a novice conference attendee, this veteran of over 30 years has some helpful hints to make your initial experiences memorable, educational, and entertaining.
Preparation Time
You’ve read about the conference; discussed it with your manager; and yes, received permission to attend. After you’ve registered for the conference, booked your conference hotel, and made your travel arrangements, now is the time to look at the conference program. Is there a Newcomer Networking event? Number 1. Add that to your calendar! You’ll discover great intel about the organization producing the event and learn about special focus areas that relate to your specific niche field. Newcomer sessions frequently have breakout sessions within, so you can easily meet others who do the same work as you do. Does the organization offer you a conference app? Number 2. Download it to develop your own personalized schedule of presentations, plenaries, receptions, and yes, breaks. The app will display a map of the conference site to help you navigate the special rooms and halls, meeting points, and the all-important coffee stations. And with some conferences hosting more than 1,000 attendees, it can become quite crowded. Maps help! Another area of the conference worth noting is the Exhibit Hall. Service providers, university consortiums, and even merchandisers will populate the hall, giving you extra insight into your niche. And remember to grab a bag. There shall be conference swag!
Your personalized calendar
By reviewing the conference schedule and the app, you can make a note of preconference workshops and specific educational sessions. Set clear goals with your manager about what you want to achieve by attending. Are you looking for mentors? Maybe you’re looking for specific research on your subject of interest? Have you been assigned a task to gather information about a new office CRM or to find collaborators for study abroad programming? Write down your goals and keep them handy to stay on track.
You might want to add the major plenaries to your calendar. Many attendees will gather to hear talks that may be inspirational, educational, and downright entertaining. I’ve enjoyed witty and quite humorous commentary from Sir Salman Rushdie, James Earl Jones, and Sir Peter Ustinov; traveled from my ballroom chair with Rick Steves; discovered the incredible charity World Central Kitchen found by Chef José Andrés; learned about educating girls to bring peace and justice to the world from Nobel Peace Prize recipient Leymah Gbowee. And incredibly, I discovered the existence of HeroRATS, African giant pouched rats who are trained to find landmines and detect tuberculosis within Senegal, Cambodia, Ukraine, Laos, Tanzania, and Mozambique.
In addition to general conference scheduling, you’ll quickly notice and be invited to social events such as dinners, receptions, and informal meetups. Add to your calendar! These can be relaxing ways to engage with others, and even if you don’t know anyone, don’t be afraid to attend. These can be fabulous gatherings to make new meaningful connections. I’ve met colleagues who are now lifelong friends at these social events and found colleagues who have helped me in my work throughout the years. My relationships have developed into a cohesive email group that I cherish. Invaluable peers.
Now that you are attending
Some additional tips:
Conferences can be loud. Busy. Overwhelming. Make sure to eat and drink water throughout. Yet, moderate your caffeine and sweets. You don’t want to crash and burn too early. Find a quiet spot. Enjoy the sun. Recover.
Conferences can be long in hours and talk. You can skip a social event. You can choose to just wander through the Exhibit Hall instead of sitting in a session. You will need to recharge daily.
Conferences require that you wear comfortable shoes. This is not a joke. You will be grateful you did. You might want to bring a lightweight jacket or pashmina as session rooms can be chilly.
Allow some extra time when you return home to regroup. Follow up with those colleagues you met. Continue your conversations. Review your notes. And enjoy the memories you made.
By Marybeth Gruenewald
Director of Global Initiatives