You may use this image in your ezine or website if you choose to publish my article. Click here to see the picture full-sized.--- Bill Lampton Ph.D.

For almost three decades, I have been attending conferences.  
For twenty years, I went as a participant, while serving as 
vice president of three colleges and a medical center.  For 
the last eight years, I have gone to numerous conferences as 
a professional speaker and seminar leader, while I continue 
to attend the National Speakers Association’s conferences as 
a registrant.

Here is what I have learned about getting the most out of a 
conference, so your investment of time and money will bring 
long range dividends.

One:  Read the conference agenda thoroughly, as soon as you 
receive it, and select the sessions that will be most likely to 
improve your professional performance.  Note: Too many attendees 
shy away from learning something new, so they settle for the 
comfort of attending seminars they could almost teach themselves. 
This is not the time for needless repetition, but for moving 
forward by learning new techniques and strategies.

Two:  Ask a professional colleague to become your conference 
partner, so that each of you can share what you learn, especially 
when you describe the different seminars you attended.

Three:  Plan to stay for the entire conference.  Ever notice how 
many people skip the last half-day?  You never know what good 
advice you might be missing by arriving late or leaving early.

Four:  Stay at the designated hotel.  Sure, you might find 
cheaper ones a few blocks away, but you need to be where you can 
enlarge your network most effectively.  Also, you will be glad 
you reside at the host hotel when bad weather moves in suddenly. 
You can keep going to the sessions without having to change 
clothes and repair your wind-damaged hairdo.

Five:  When you attend the conference parties, realize that 
potential employers, clients or business partners might observe 
your behavior.  You are not really off duty because you have left 
your home base.  Enjoy yourself, of course, yet avoid risky 
behavior that will jeopardize your job, family and future.

Six:  Take plenty of business cards, because you may need more 
than you could predict.  Certainly when you meet leaders in your 
field, you will want to help them remember you.

Seven:  Tactfully collect as many business cards as you can, so 
you can follow up later with post cards, E-mails or phone calls. 
Attendees will feel complimented that you remember them.

Eight:  Buy the tapes and audio CDs recorded during the sessions. 
This is helpful even for the speeches and seminars you attend, as 
listening again will reinforce your learning.

Nine:  Become an active participant, asking questions and making 
comments when the format allows interaction.  This way, the 
topics will take on new life for you.  Equally as important, 
your colleagues will begin to notice and remember you.

Ten: Meet and thank everyone who served on the conference 
planning committee. They deserve your compliments.  And when you 
thank them, you will definitely stand out as one of the few who 
did.  

Follow these top ten guidelines, and you will maximize the value 
of your conference participation. 

Bill Lampton, Ph.D., has shared his expertise in communication, 
motivation, customer service and sales with a diverse client 
list.  He wrote a popular book:  The Complete Communicator: 
Change Your Communication, Change Your Life!  Visit his 
Web site: http://www.ChampionshipCommunication.com  
Call Dr. Bill Lampton at 770-534-3425 or 800-393-0114.  
E-mail him: mailto:drbill@ChampionshipCommunication.com