Attending a Conference Checklist: 17 Insights to Help You Get Ready For Any Conference

We all forget something when we go to conferences.

Usually it’s a charger, or contact lenses, or a pair of comfortable shoes for the return journey, but more often we forget to make sure we’re prepared to get as much as possible out of the event. Here, I’ve put together some resources from around the web to help with that. So, with them, I present to you:

The (Compressed) Attending a Conference Checklist:

  • Choose which conference(s) to attend
  • Convince your boss
  • Get funding
  • Get (good) business cards
  • Find accommodation
  • Book flights
  • Prep so you’ll remember what you’ll learn
  • Get familiar with the area
  • Pack
  • Network
  • Listen
  • Decompress

And how to best go about each step:

Get Ready: Months Before Any Conference

Choosing Which Conferences to Attend:

Convincing Your Boss and Getting Funding:

Choosing Business Cards:

Get Ready: Weeks Before Any Conference

Finding Accommodation and Booking Travel:

Get Ready: Days Before Any Conference

Preparing Takeaways:

Finding Your Way Around:

Packing:

Get Ready: For/On the Day(s) of the Conference

Networking:

Listening:

Decompressing: