Getting the Most Out of Your SLA Annual Conference Experience —
And Living to Attend Another Year
(The Collective Wisdom of Our Many Conference—Going Years)
XTREME CONFERENCE EXPERIENCE
· Pack a small survival kit: band aids, mouthwash, aspirin or IB, water bottle, hard candy (note: chocolate tends to melt!), damp cloth wipes, glue, a flashlight, cell phone (set to vibrate only!), a whistle, stapler or paper clips, tape. Scissors would be useful, but you can't carry them on planes now
· Wear comfortable shoes. Easy clothes. Prepare for chilly and overheated rooms
· Memorize your SLA pin number. Visit the SLA conference desk
· Find a secure place to put your plane tickets. Don't walk around with them
· Have 2 or 3 copies of your one?page resume with you at all times
· Keep your hand "luggage" small, light, and functional. You'll be overloaded if you are carrying around such stuff as a backpack, oversized handbag, bulging briefcase, heavy laptop all day.(Note: all laptops are heavy by the end of the day; consider if you really need one). Be sensible. Travel as lightly as possible
· Don't overload your conference bag. Try to "offload" this material each evening. Consider a rolling cart, but beware that they are not always welcome in crowded sessions and are difficult to maneuver on steps and escalators
· Consider packing an empty folding zippered carryall in which to load all the material you will collect at the conference. A mail/shipping facility will be available at the convention center and is usually open through the last day of the conference. OR
· Consider shipping the paper material you collected at the conference to your office before you depart. OR
· Consider leaving your business cards with vendors and asking them to send materials to you at your office or library. They will be very willing to comply.
· Wear jackets/dresses/slacks with pockets: one to hold business cards (yours and the ones you will collect), the other to hold note pads, pens, highlighters, and an envelope for receipts
· Find a "handout buddy;" halve the load of handouts from sessions; get together later to swap or copy
· Wear your nametag on the right shoulder. Pin or clip it on. The lanyards hang too low for anyone to really see. However, don't fail to remove your nametags after you leave the conference center or you run the risk of being approached by strangers (non–SLA folks) who will spot your name and start unwanted, uneasy conversations
· Get acquainted with all the SLA colored ribbons attached to members' nametags. You'll be wearing them someday (See section on Ribbons below)
(Barbara Semonche, SLA Fellow)
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