Jesus Geek

How to attend a conference

I’m currently at a conference for work. There are a few things that really bug me about attending conferences. I’ll list them first and then expand upon each topic.

1. In this instance, it’s too big.
2. It’s expensive.
3. Too many overlapping topics during sessions.
4. Presenters either run too long or too short.
5. Often there is no detailed information provided.
6. You’re expected to keep up with work duties while at the conference.
7. You’re not held accountable for the content of the conference.

Let’s start with size. The conference I’m attending is HUGE! It’s at the Anaheim Convention Center and every space is used up as well as all the conference rooms in two hotels. It’s impossible to get around and requires maps and a sherpa to find the classes. In this instance each track is separated so that 90% of the sessions I attended are in the same hotel.

The cost of the conference is also exorbitant. Why? Is it really necessary to bring in a keynote speaker that charges thousands of dollars? Do you have to buy tickets to the local attractions? This adds to the cost of those who just want to attend for the purpose of LEARNING.

If you do go there to learn something, often classes of interest overlap with others. This is ineffective and often prevents you from getting te most out of your conference experience. This really bothers me when an overlap occurs on one day and the the next there are gaps in the schedule.

Another thing that gets on my nerves is when a presenter cannot stay on topic. This usually leads to the session going long or the information isn’t covered thoroughly. Presenters need to learn to direct their session and prevent hijackers. The opposite happens when a presenter is so nervous that he/she blows through all of their material in 15 minutes. Nobody asks questions because they’ve just had 40 minutes work of data compressed into their brains. Conference organizers should be careful to select experienced presenters.

So my employer has spent $5000 to send me to a conference and I attend a session that only provides a 10,000 ft. overview of the topic at hand. Arrrgh! Give me details! I call look at an executive overview and get that information for free. Don’t waste my time and my money on such things.

One of my major concerns when I attend a conference is having to deal with things back at the office. This makes my experience at the conference frustrating because my attention is divided. I should be concentrating on the conference and not have to deal with work. My employer should support my attendance by making sure that my duties are covered.

The last item is a pet-peeve of mine. Employers don’t hold conference attendees accountable for the information at the session. I personally look at conferences as an opportunity to focus on a topic and dig in. Employers should make sure that everyone who attends a conference provides an overview of the sessions attended. Too often people skip out of classes and go play. Not cool. They’re being sent to a conference a considerable expense and should be held accountable for their time.

So I don’t really have any answers. I do have a lot of questions. So does anyone have any ideas about this topic? How do you attend a conference and make sure that you’re getting the most bang for your buck? Does anyone know where a guy can go to make sure he’s getting the most out of a conference?