Conferences: 8 Tips for Attending Successfully - article

Whether you've decided to take your career to the next level or you need a productive weekend away from the keyboard, this guide will give you eight great tips for making the most of your literary adventure.

1. Decide what you want to get out of the event. This initial step is hugely important. Most conferences are packed with speakers, workshops, and panels. But if you fail to plan what you want to take away when the weekend is over, you'll probably end up with nothing but frustration and regret.
2. Do some investigating and find your way around. Regardless of the size of the event, be sure to get a map of the conference space and study it. Show up early to familiarize yourself with any area you might want to visit, such as meeting rooms, halls, restrooms, and food courts. You might even want to plan out your day’s route based on the start times of each desired event.
3. Research the presenters prior to the event. Check out the presenters’ topics. When you find ones you're interested in, do a quick Internet search on the presenters. Find out what genre they specialize in and what they've written. Read their blogs and anything else you can get your hands on. This familiarization will help you get the most out of your time with them.
4. Identify the topics that are important to you. The worst thing you can do as a rookie conventioneer is stretch yourself too thin. Go through the schedule and pick out every event you’d like to attend, then go back through and realistically edit the list. Use your newfound knowledge of the conference’s floor plan to help you narrow down your choices to those that work best for your schedule.
5. Be sure to leverage your breaks. When you actually get a moment to breath, do so. Go to the bathroom, eat something, and get some fresh air. If there's any time left, maximize it by networking with the other writers and speakers. 
6. Take notes. Information will be flying at you left and right. If you don't capture it, it might be lost to you forever. Remember, you're a writer, so use those skills to take as many notes as you can. Then you'll have something tangible to take home with you. 
7. Network with the other attendees and presenters. This is one of the best moves you can make. Leverage those breaks, attend the mixers, and find out where everyone is going to be when they're not at the conference. Get yourself there. 
8. Follow up after the event with everyone you've met. Once it's all said and done and you're back home, follow up. Share tips, exchange ideas, and be sure to connect online regularly.