Photo: Dawn Galbreath

Ask anyone about the conference they attended yesterday, and you’ll hear about the great sessions they sat in on, the people they met, and the inspirational ideas that were presented and exhibited. A week later, ask them about the same conference, and they’ll be a bit less enthusiastic. A month later, ask them again and they may remember a thing or two, but only in general terms. What causes the excitement to fade?

Attending professional conferences is viewed by some as a great opportunity to get out of the office. For some, it’s a necessary evil. Whether you love them or hate them though, getting the full value from a conference can be a little tricky.

I haven’t been to a single conference that didn’t motivate me, inspire me, or educate me in some way. But that enthusiasm dies quickly upon returning home and I’m no longer motivated to capitalize on any part of the experience. It’s only natural. While you’re at a conference, it’s all about the conference. When you get back home and to the office, it’s all about catching up with everything that piled up while you were at the conference. In losing all that positive energy, your investment – hundreds if not thousands of dollars – returns next to nil.

5 Ways to Get the Most out of Conferences

This post contains a detailed description and set of tools to help you get the most out of any conference you attend. But, the upshot is these five points:

1. Prepare by reviewing the conference materials one week in advance and then again the day before the conference.
2. Attend the conference with a clear set of objectives that you have shared with a friend or colleague who is committed to helping you be accountable for them.
3. Allow time each day to write down the highlights of the conference.
4. At the end of the conference, provide your employer or colleague with a written report summarizing the takeaways of the conference and how you plan to implement them.
5. Follow up with the contacts you made.

For tips and tools, (more…)