{"id":1881,"date":"2013-07-16T14:03:11","date_gmt":"2013-07-16T18:03:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/?p=1881"},"modified":"2020-02-28T20:04:59","modified_gmt":"2020-02-28T20:04:59","slug":"what-to-tell-your-new-hires-the-day-before-their-first-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/what-to-tell-your-new-hires-the-day-before-their-first-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Tell Your New Hires the Day Before Their First Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Hillary
Hillary Levitz, Naylor Association Solutions<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s Friday afternoon around 15 minutes before closing time. Your phone rings. It\u2019s one of your vendors offering you free registration to a conference they are sponsoring. You can\u2019t attend, but you think it would be a great learning experience for the newest hire in your department. The kid is great when he\u2019s behind a computer screen, but falls a little short in face-to-face social settings. You want to provide him with a few tips to rock his first conference. Here are a few tips to get started.<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Go with someone you know.<\/span>
    \nWalking into an unfamiliar place alone is difficult. If possible, attend with a coworker or friend. It will guarantee you someone to sit with for the opening remarks and, more importantly, at lunch. A conference buddy also will allow you to split up and cover more sessions. If you\u2019re going to pay to attend a conference, you may as well “attend” as many sessions as possible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      \n
    • Research the topics being covered before you arrive.<\/span>
      \nSimilar to college professors, speakers will expect you to have a basic understanding of the topic before you arrive. Their job is to provide examples of how to apply their expertise to your company rather than show you what it is. Without that knowledge, you\u2019re more likely to disengage as soon as the speaker starts discussing a topic you\u2019ve never heard of before.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
        \n
      • Put away your phone.<\/span>
        \nIt\u2019s a fact. We all compulsively check our email and fidget with our phones when given the opportunity. Having your phone in front of you will make you less likely to pay attention and more likely to be the only one in the room who knows the score of the baseball game. Put your phone away for the day and allow yourself to be engaged at the conference.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
          \n
        • Arrive early and stay late.<\/span>
          \nUse the conference not only to learn tricks of the trade, but to network and meet possible contacts for the future. Most conferences feature some sort of cocktail hour or meet and greet during the evening. Use this time to connect with others in your field and share industry tips and tricks. Who knows, the guy in the ugly gray sweater may be able to land you your next job.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
            \n
          • Take notes.<\/span>
            \nWhen you return back to work your boss and colleagues are going to want to know about your experience. Take notes and be able to provide specific examples of how what you learned can be applied to your company.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            Some other tips to consider:<\/span><\/p>\n

              \n
            • Research the exhibitors, not just the learning sessions. Some of the most valuable things you can bring back to the office are new products\/solutions for your organization and potential advertisers for your sales team.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                \n
              • Don\u2019t forget your “day job.” Just because you\u2019re traveling on company business doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re exempt from responding to important phone calls, emails and work-related issues. Experienced conference attendees set a few specific times of day to check in, not round the clock.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                Remind the young lad to dress in his snazziest business casual outfit and throw a notebook and paper into a briefcase (a tablet or laptop will work, too). Most importantly, stress that the conference should be a fun learning experience and not an event to lose sleep over. If he follows these tips and the others that you provide, he\u2019s guaranteed to have a successful day.<\/p>\n

                Hillary Levitz <\/span>is an online marketing specialist with Naylor, LLC.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                Preparation before an event can make or break the experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":1727,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[193,194,195,196,197,198],"class_list":["post-1881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","category-marketing-communications","tag-conference","tag-event","tag-first-event","tag-millennials","tag-new-job","tag-preparation"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat to Tell Your New Hires the Day Before Their First Conference - Association Adviser<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Tips for preparing young professionals or new hires to attend their first conference as a member or staff member of your association.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/what-to-tell-your-new-hires-the-day-before-their-first-conference\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What to Tell Your New Hires the Day Before Their First Conference - 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