Fall in Indiana is hard to compare to much else. The fall foliage colors. The canon booms at Memorial Stadium during IU Football games. Reminiscing about your time on campus. It’s that time of year.

Most of us have been gearing up for Homecoming in Bloomington, but a few of us are excited for something else coming up this month: the Indiana Governor’s Conference for Women on Tuesday, October 21. Caroline has been working tirelessly to make the 2nd annual event at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis a smashing success yet again. And with the IU Alumni Association serving as a sponsor, our troop of IUAA women will be there in force to learn and become inspired by some incredible women leaders.

Conferences can be quite the event, even if you’re just attending. Every time I attend a conference, I leave feeling inspired, supported, well-connected and… exhausted. An introvert by nature, these day-long events can really take a lot out of me. I don’t want to miss any sessions, or miss an opportunity to network with new colleagues. Trying to move forward on new ideas amid information overload can make you feel like you’re two steps forward, one step back. Not to mention the professional development chunk of funding it took to register and attend. How can I make sure I’m getting the most out of this day-long roller coaster of inspiration and information?

I empower you to take note of these tricks I have used that makes the most of your day.

1. Do your homework. Most conferences have the list of speakers and session descriptions available ahead of time. I encourage you to read up on those sessions and choose in advance which sessions to attend. Go a step further and do a quick Google search of that speaker. What are they known for? Are they doing some interesting consulting or research? Do they have a Twitter handle? Then prepare some questions. After their presentations, they’re bombarded by many attendees. Consider showing up early to the presentation and, if they’re not busy, introduce yourself and let them know why you’re interested in their session. Live tweet their session. Your interest in their topic even before their presentation shows vested interest and your introduction may make an important first impression.
2. Hangry. Definition: when you’re so hungry, you’re angry. It’s a real thing that you don’t want taking over your “A” game at a conference. On the road early to get to your conference destination may mean a stop at Starbucks and an earlier breakfast than normal. Some of the more recent conferences I’ve attended have had “snack breaks” with a variety of treats lacking nutritional value. While it all looks appetizing, think twice and, instead, consider packing some healthy options. It may be the caffeine and sugar overload that really adds to the ups and downs of the conference roller coaster. Keep your mind sharp and sustain energy levels by bringing along your own snacks. I love packing Lara Bars and packets of Justin’s almond butter. If either get smushed in my purse, it’s not a problem. Also, you’re not the only one who needs a snack. If you’re busy live tweeting and checking your phone, pack your cell phone charger too for a midday pick-me-up. You may need your phone’s battery charged enough for the GPS to get you home.
3. Post-Conference Follow-Up. The bag of goodies that many return home with post-conference usually contains a bunch of swag and a stack of business cards. I can’t tell you how many times I’ll come across a business card, found randomly in my travel gear, and I have to wrack my brain to remember that person. What did we chat about? Did I tell them I would follow up? What mental connections did I make between their career and mine? Words to the wise: once you get a business card from a colleague, flip it over and jot down all those notes. Then, protect those business cards like pirates’ treasure until you return to the office. Within 2-3 business days, I like to follow up, whether that’s on LinkedIn or by email. I also make sure to add an individualized LinkedIn invite message, reminding them who I am, what we talked about. This is especially important since I’m not the only one sending an invite after the conference. Once they accept my LinkedIn invite, go to their LinkedIn profile, and under their picture click on “relationship.” There you can keep personal notes and reminders about that person (without them or anyone else seeing). Add those notes from the business card and/or set a reminder to ask if they’ll be attending next year’s conference in about 8-10 months.

Conferences are supposed to serve as a wealth of inspiration and information. By taking note of these simple, yet helpful, reminders, I hope you’ll get more out of your day-long event and keep the inspiration flowing long after the last session concludes. Follow me (@emilisperling), Caroline (@cdowdhiggins) and IUAA (@IUAA) as we live tweet the conference on Oct 21 (#INGC14).

Until next time,
Emili

Emili Sperling, BA ’08
Alumni Programs Officer
Student and Recent Graduate Enrichment