How To Prepare When Attending Your First Conference

Whether you are a student, intern, changed careers or just haven’t engaged in this form of professional development and education before there’s plenty to see and learn by attending an industry conference, congress or meeting.

For most people, first time experiences can be daunting. With a conference you might be thinking there are lots of new social interactions you need to prepare for, individuals attending you may look up to, and many new faces and names to remember.

We’ve created a handy guide to refer to before attending your first business event, or as a nice reminder if it’s been awhile. It has been broken up into Personal, Networking, Venues, Program, Exhibition, Eating & Drinking, and Technology.

Personal

What do I wear?

Although you will want to present a certain way it is important to keep in mind that you will on your feet most of the day, particularly if the Welcome Reception or Conference Dinner is on that day. Dependant on the type of conference you are attending you are best to wear smart casual attire that you are comfortable in (both inside and out). If you feel good on the outside, you may feel that bit more confident when engaging with professional connections and colleagues.

Remember to take a lightweight coat or jacket. Even if it’s hot outside most conference venues will have the air-conditioning on and you don’t want to feel chilly while trying to concentrate on sessions and take in new information.

Comfortable shoes are also a must-have!

What do I take with me?

A reusable water bottle, a tablet or laptop, pen and paper to take notes or jot something down, chargers, business cards (if you use them). Some snacks like trail mix or a protein bar are a good idea even though there will be catering on site you may feel you need something in between meal times to get you through.

Will there be a cloak room?

Most larger venues will have a cloak room but quite often there will multiple events happening at once and therefore there may not be enough room to cater for all events and its delegates. It’s always best to check the conference website or enquire with the conference office about how this will be managed.

Do I need my laptop or is a notebook sufficient?

This is completely up to you. Some people use their downtime at a conference (though usually there isn’t that much!) to get extra work done so take their laptop. But we would recommend using the old pen and paper, why so? You’ll undoubtedly have to transcribe these notes to your computer meaning you get another chance to go over all the important things you jotted down at the time.

Networking

Think Ahead 

Before attending the conference make sure to take note of all the speakers listed on the website as they may impact who you would like to approach. Most speakers will also be attending the conference so it’s a great chance to spark up a conversation about their expert subject and follow up on any questions you might have from their presentation.

Closer to the conference you can check the event hashtag on social media. At many of our conferences we use social media tiles to encourage pre-conference collegiality so you may see that someone who is of interest to you has posted their intention to attend. This is a great chance to reach out early and potentially set up a coffee ‘date’ in one of the event’s refreshment breaks.

How do I approach people to start networking? 

Firstly, be prepared to introduce yourself and consider having some small talking points prepared beforehand to ease any anxiety. This might be something to do with your job, home city or area of interest.

A lot of networking happens serendipitously either by being introduced by a mutual connection, standing in line for the buffet or at an exhibition booth so having these talking points ready to go can be helpful. Try and be pro-active in these situations and find common ground, remember most delegates are also there with an aim to network so don’t be afraid to make the first move.

Will there be dedicated networking opportunities available?

Technology: There are now ways to engage in networking that the conference will facilitate for you via technology. Apps like Braindate are set up so you can pre-select times either one-on-one or in small groups to sit and discuss a particular topic or subject matter. This allows you to bypass the intimidating process of approaching someone cold and hoping they will have time to chat.

Social events: Some bigger conferences will host a mixer or small get together early in the event to allow ‘first-timers’ to meet each other in a devoted but still casual setting. This may be integrated in the Welcome Reception or be a standalone event. Regardless of whether one of these dedicated events has been organised the event’s social program is the time to network, socialise and generally have a bit of fun. People will have their guard down and be much more inclined to converse.

Make sure to follow up

Business events can be a whirlwind for even for those most experienced of delegates so make sure to follow up with any connections after those initial conversations. You might connect with them on LinkedIn, or send an email thanking them for the discussion.

Venue

Convention centres are huge! If you are going to a large conference or congress, you may become overwhelmed with the labyrinth of rooms and floors. Most hosts will provide a floor plan of the venue and some newer representations include 3D maps and interactive versions so you can get a really good feel for the space.

In saying this, we recommend getting to the venue a little early on the first day to get your bearings. Keep in mind there will always be venue and conference management staff and volunteers on site to help you find your way around so don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Program

Aside from the networking opportunities, the main act of any business event is the program content. The program may be made up of an academic program with concurrent sessions, a poster program, workshops, meetings, and the social events.

We strongly recommend to keep up to date with the program by signing up to the conference mailing list and checking the website in the weeks prior to the event. Concurrent sessions mean you may need to prioritise what presentations you would like to attend so it’s handy to highlight how you want your individualised program to look like.

Nowadays lots of events will include a conference app where you will have access to the program on your mobile device. If need be, there is no issue printing out your own hardcopy. Usually, the program will also be shown on screens around the venue with rooms showing the timetable.

How do I manage concurrent sessions?

Head to the session you want to hear. Sometimes rooms have capacity and if it is a particularly popular session, you may miss out if you don’t get there on time.

Workshops

Book and book early to avoid missing out. Workshops make up part of the conference program that is provided in addition to the main program and can be an excellent way to drill down into a particular subject matter or hear from a particular speaker you are interested in.

Is the conference hybrid? If so, do I have access to the virtual/recorded sessions after attending in-person?

Most likely yes, most conferences with a virtual element will provide the recorded sessions to those attending in person. This means you won’t miss out on have access to any sessions running concurrently and can watch back at your leisure to take additional notes. On-demand content is usually made available for around 3 months from the completion of the conference.

Social Events

The Welcome Reception is a fantastic way to ‘welcome’ in the conference, meet new people and get a gauge of how the next few days and going to go. Whereas the Conference Dinner is usually a time to ‘let your hair down’ so to speak and socialise, enjoy entertainment, maybe even have a dance!

Tickets for social events may be included in your conference registration but it’s always best to double check that you don’t need to purchase an additional ticket as these are usually required for the dinner at a minimum. Occasionally tickets will also be available for guests so if you have travelled interstate or internationally with a family member or friend they may also be able to attend.

Exhibition and Sponsors

Do I need to visit every exhibitor?

Not necessarily but you never know what you might find plus, the exhibitors are a large part of the reason the conference can go ahead so it is always appreciated to make the effort to visit. You will naturally find there are certain booths that are of more interest to your line of work or profession so take the opportunity to converse with those manning the booth and find out what they have to say.

Why should I explore the Exhibition Hall?

The Exhibition Hall tends to be the social hive of a conference or meeting. This is where morning, afternoon tea and lunch is usually served and there is space for people to mingle but also take a chance to sit down and rest their tried feet! Exhibitors will often have new products or research on site so you might come across the latest innovation in your field that you can take back to your colleagues or share across social media.

Swag bags/freebies, will I get one?

Lots of conferences and organisers are veering away from physical swag bags for the sake of sustainability but there may still be eco-friendly and useful products that hosts and sponsors want to promote.

Eating and Drinking

What will be available to eat and drink? Will there will enough?

All the information you need regarding food and beverage service at the conference will be available on the conference website (usually in FAQs) or in the registration form. It’s important you state any dietary requirements when you register, although many venues can cater to different requirements you may be stuck with whatever can be created on the day if you leave this important information out or assume there will be something suitable for you.

Where do we have lunch?

The Exhibition Hall usually doubles as the dining space as there is plenty of room to set out the buffet and have adequate tables and chairs.

Technology

Is there an app I can download before the event begins?

Most likely, yes. These days in very common for a conference to employ a mobile app that takes the place of a hardcopy booklet. Information about the app and how to download will be made available on the event website and in the final delegate information document that is usually sent a few days before the conference starts. This will be where you can find information like the program, list of speakers, sponsors and exhibitors, and WIFI details of the venue.

Interactive features like Q&A and Polling are sometimes included in this app, if not there will be information on other apps or websites you might need to access to take part is these activities. Frequently these will be accessible via a QR code at the registration desk, on the website and on other conference collateral.

What about social media?

If you feel comfortable doing so then absolutely! You can get involved early as lots of conferences will provide delegates with a social media tile to share their involvement on their social profiles. This also allows you to notify your network of your presence at the event, and you never know who might also be attending.

Using the conference hashtag means you can become involved in the conversation before, during and after the event. You might even like to tweet at one of the speakers if you have a burning question or to simply say you are looking forward to hearing their presentation.

Watchouts

Although conferences will appreciate the engagement keep in mind privacy and protection of your fellow delegates by confirming they are happy for you to post a photo on them on your social media.

Finally

All in all, attending a conference or business event is meant to be an enjoyable experience and keep in mind, everyone is there for the same reason! Make the most of your involvement, have fun and keep an open mind. You never know what you might learn or discover.

And when in doubt, contact the conference organisers, they can assist you with all your curly conference queries.

Got questions? Contact us for more information and to discuss your upcoming event.