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Professional conferences related to higher education abound. If you’re currently working in higher ed, you will likely attend at least one conference a year to hear from thought leaders in your field, network with peers, and learn the latest strategies and trends in your line of work.
These conferences can be costly for the institution — between registration fees, hotel accommodations, and travel arrangements. For attendees, they also require taking precious time away from your job and family. So, how can attendees make the most of these costly, yet valuable experiences? What can you do to get the biggest return on investment both personally and for your institution?
Whether you’re a young professional who has just started to attend some professional conferences or a seasoned pro, here are some things to keep in mind.
Write Down Your Goals
Isabeau Iqbal, PhD, a certified career coach with over two decades experience working with higher education professionals, recommends not only setting goals related to your conference attendance but also writing them down.
“I had a colleague who developed a terrific goal setting sheet for [a] conference that I used to attend semi-regularly… it invited us to consider things like 1) What are some things I want to learn about? 2) What are three goals I have for my time at the conference? 3) How will I stretch myself? 4) What does a successful conference experience feel [or] look like?”
The physical act of writing goals down requires you to set aside time and reflect thoughtfully on your plan. It’s also something that you can take with you to the conference and refer to between sessions to keep you on track with what you wanted to accomplish. It’s harder to hold yourself accountable for goals that are simply stored in your head.
Plan Which Sessions You’ll Attend
Conference agendas are typically released well in advance of the event. There may be an app or online schedule that you can review. Take the time to look over what will be available and consider what you might like to attend.
If you are fortunate enough to be attending with some of your colleagues, you might be able to split up sessions and share findings with each other, which will allow you to better capitalize on all the great information being presented at the conference.
Embrace Networking, Even if It Means Stretching Yourself
For some people, conferences allow them to be in their natural element. They love to meet new people and enjoy the social atmosphere of gathering with colleagues and discussing their research and trends in their field. For others, especially introverts and reserved individuals, networking and social sessions can cause some anxiety. It’s okay to have a comfort zone, but conferences are all about professional development and expanding your network. Growth generally doesn’t happen without some discomfort.
Iqbal advises not to “hide or retreat (physically or behind your phone), even if you desperately want to.” You don’t have to be the ‘life of the party,’ though — you can start small. One way she recommends building relationships is by showing appreciation or interest as long as it’s genuine.
“Don’t overthink the word networking,” advises Kelly Cherwin, who is the director of editorial strategy at HigherEdJobs and attends several conferences a year. “Simply turning to the person next to you at a conference breakout session, introducing yourself, and asking them where they are from is a great way to start a networking conversation. Even if you are an introvert, you can hopefully reciprocate by sharing some basics: your role, where you live, or what interests you in the conference. So, take the time to say that first hello! And, if you like their shoes, throw in a compliment, which everyone loves.”
Gary DePaul, leadership author and keynote speaker, agrees that it’s important to do more than be a member of the audience.
“If all you do is attend concurrent sessions at a conference, you miss the real learning,” he says. “You need to meet people and network to get the most out of your experience.”
DePaul said that most speakers are stewards at heart and love meeting people.
“Get to know them,” he says. “Talk with them afterward or find them later during the event. Ask to join them for lunch or dinner before leaving.”
Don’t have a mentor? Find one at a conference, DePaul suggests. Consider buying a speaker’s book if you enjoyed their presentation, too. After reading the book, follow up with the author to share what you learned from their session and book.
Share Your Knowledge
Are you in the mid-to-late stage of your career? Have years of attending conferences under your belt? Then you likely have a lot to offer others, says Iqbal. “Be kind, be generous, reach out to someone who looks a bit lost, give praise to someone new in the field,” she recommends.
Debrief and Make a Follow-Up Plan
After you have returned to campus and caught up on any pressing work, make it a priority to revisit your goals going into the conference. Reflect on what you learned, what you can share with others, who you’ll follow up with, and what you might want to do differently next time.
Make time to touch base with your new contacts, whether that means emailing them or sending them an invitation to connect on LinkedIn.
If you presented at the conference, Iqbal also cautions that you should be gentle with yourself.
“I’ve coached young professionals who berate themselves after giving their presentation, and do a lot of negative self-talk,” she explains. “There is nothing helpful about doing that.”
Instead, be proud of what went well and consider what and how you can improve for next time.
When it comes to reviewing what you learned from attending sessions, if you had the luxury of attending the conference with a few of your colleagues, Iqbal highly recommends “organizing a 30- to 60-minute sharing session where you each bring one take-away that stood out and that could be of value to others.” This is particularly important if you split up sessions and planned to share notes. If you don’t have time to meet, at least make sure your colleagues have access to any pertinent notes.
“I [also] like to give public thanks to the organizers or show my appreciation for all the work that went into the conference,” Iqbal explains. “That could be by posting on LinkedIn or sending an email to someone from the conference committee (if I know them).”
It’s also a good idea to thank the appropriate individuals at your institution if you received funding to attend the conference.
