You may have noticed already, but conferences are back in a big way!Long gone are those post pandemic days when people were hesitant to show up places in-person. Folks are signing up in force to attend live and in person again! Since it’s been a while, for this month’s blog I thought it would be fun to share some ideas about how to get the most value from your next conference experience.
It’s been too long since I’ve been in the mix of a live, high-energy conference, and this one’s going to be epic. The lineup of keynote speakers is incredible: Megan Hyatt Miller, Tiffany Aliche, Michael Bungay Stanier and Will Guidara are all set to deliver game-changing insights. I’m not just attending; I’m ready to dive in, connect, learn, and bring back fresh strategies that can make a real impact.
Let’s face it: attending a conference can be intimidating. Walking into a room full of strangers, navigating endless sessions, and trying to make meaningful connections can leave anyone feeling overwhelmed. Whether you’re worried about making the right impression or just unsure how to start a conversation, it’s easy to feel like you’re missing out while everyone else is hitting their stride. But here’s the good news—you don’t have to wing it. With a little preparation and the right mindset, you can turn those nerves into opportunities and make your next conference not just another event, but a game-changer for your career. Ready to tackle your next in-person conference with confidence? Here are my top tips to get you there.
Get ready to squeeze every last drop of goodness out of the experience…
1) Buddy Up
Consider making happy hour plans or dinner plans with fellow attendees to compare notes and share stories from the day. It can be easier to meet new folks when you’re not flying solo. Get yourself an event buddy. Share your goals and who would be a good contact for you, and then rock that next event as a team!
2) Don’t forget your business cards or…
My newest preferred move is to have a QR code on my physical cards that directs people to your digital business card for the best of both worlds.
3) Prep your ‘One-Liner’
You’ll be memorable, and engaging, and you’ll be giving away your business cards faster than the wait staff can hand out bacon-wrapped dates!
4) Establish your key objectives
These events can feel like a whirlwind. It can be like drinking from a firehose!
Be sure you take a moment before the conference (and at the beginning of each day) to identify and write down some key objectives for your time there. It can be easy to miss BIG opportunities because you simply failed to anticipate them.
Pro Tip: Try anchoring each of the 5 things to one finger each so you don’t forget them. Assign a couple of new contacts, something you are going to take away for a client, one thing for yourself, and one for the business…
By assigning each of them to one of your fingers, you’ll be sure to remember them all!
It’s been said that “Luck is the combination of preparation and opportunity”
Take a few minutes to write down your goals for the event and then share them with your conference buddy so you can both be looking out for each other and helping one another achieve as much as possible and share in the high-five moments!
5) Lean into the social opportunities
You’ll be glad you did, and you can bet opportunities will flourish from the experience if you embrace it with the mentality of a guide looking to help others win the day.
Whether we feel ready or not, conferences are BACK in a big way, but don’t worry… everyone else feels a little rusty at these, too. Embrace the discomfort and the opportunity with these tips in mind, and you’ll get the most out of your next conference.
Use story to accomplish your goals
I remember the first time I arrived in the Pacific Northwest as a 20-year-old kid just trying to figure out how to keep himself alive much less run the premiere whitewater extreme race on the West Coast.
One of the many jobs that landed in my lap along with The Oregon Cup, was to kayak to the start line of the Canyon Creek Extreme Race to run timing for the event. This meant I had to somehow get myself and a synchronized stopwatch not just to the biggest waterfalls on the river, but safely start over 40 racers and then run the course for the first time blind, and solo.
I remember the moment I started the final racer. I had been too occupied with getting accurate times and managing the event it hadn’t struck me until that moment. I was going to have to run the biggest waterfall I had ever done for my first time all alone.
Everyone else was well downstream. I closed my eyes and imagined every stroke. I imagined the sensations, the timing, the balance and tension I would need inside my boat. I imagined the mist rising up to hit my face as I fell toward the pool below bracing for impact. Every. Single. Detail was there with vivid realism, to the point where it felt like I had already run the drop.
At the highest levels of sport, athletes and coaches have long been harnessing the power of the human mind for elite performance. We often hear about athletes visualizing their moves and outcomes before they compete.
Years ago, as a wilderness guide and action sport coach teaching people to run waterfalls in kayaks, I started having my athletes run training sessions in their minds just as I had at the big race. They would ‘practice’ sticking the moves they needed to win, or simply survive.
By creating something the human brain engages with, you create the potential for action. By telling a goal-focused story, you practice sticking the moves you need to win too.
Creating a detailed goal story can help reveal someone’s why, and what truly motivates them. It’s a great tool for strategic planning, and can help bring partners together toward a common goal. (Even if they never intend on running a waterfall in their lives)
Give it a shot. A simple story could change your course for 2022 or maybe even your whole life!
As for my first big waterfall… each stroke fell into place on the slow approach to the lip. Soon the stark horizon line sank lower and lower beneath the front of my boat until I could see into the depths below. With one giant stroke and tightly held breath, I came crashing down into the pool at the bottom of the drop with a victory cry I’m pretty sure they could hear all the way to the finish line! Phew! Made it…
Visit: https://mailchi.mp/tributarycoaching/the-goal-story to create your very own Goal Story!
