Attending a conference (student leadership conference or an industry conference) can be a great way to start building relationships with like-minded inidividuals with shared academic and personal interests. Some students attend conferences to meet industry professionals, present their resesearch or to meet other students who share identies. No matter what your reason, we want you to get the most out of your conference experience. Below is some information we consolidated for Tufts students and alumni to get the most out of every conference you attend !
How to Prepare to Attend a Conference
Set Goals – Possible goals include:
- Make contacts
- Internship or Job leads
- Meet other local students
- Understand an industry or specific opportunities better
- Hear excellent speakers
- Get inspired to stay the course you have chosen or get curious about a new one
Do Your Homework
- About the event
- Is there a conference app ? – very helpful for big conferences
- Location – is there time to explore the area outside of the conference, know what you want to do
- The people – Are there people attending that you want to meet?
- What questions would you ask if you get a chance?
- Check information about vendors and sponsors
- Research if there are any companies/organizations attending or sponsoring a session
- Expect Lines if there is an career fair as part of the conference
Utilize Social Media
- Twitter – Search for people talking about the event
- Blogs, Facebook
- Think about blogging yourself
Make a schedule
- Which talks?
- Who are you meeting for breakfast, lunch, dinner?
- Are there company sponsored events/meetings to join?
- Is there downtime? What is there to do?
- Pace yourself – Be realistic with your time. Don’t over book
- Use the opportunity to stretch….
Are there any Tufts Alumni attending?
- Emails
- Plan a meet-up?
Plan time to NOT be together with others (devote some time to reflect on your connections)
- Make a list of folks you would love to meet
- If you travel only with others from your school, harder to stand out
Be Ready
- Resumes – have a printed hard copy but also be ready to email to others when needed
- Pens to take notes on business cards, use note app on phone
Practice Your Personal Introduction
- Who you are, what value you bring, why you’re different (memorable), what you are looking for
- Make connections – not just with panelists but with other attendees
Be Early to each event during the conference in order to Network
Take Notes
- To look at later
- For follow-up
Follow-up
- Use the information as notes to apply as instructed ASAP (or within 48 hours after attending)
- Send quick emails/LinkedIn to anyone that you met with whom you would like to keep in touch.
- Complete your networking spreadsheet so you are organized
- Re-evaluate : Did you meet your goals?
Also…check out these additional electronic articles …
Your Ultimate Guide to Successfully Attending a Conference for the First Time
7 tips for college students attending their first professional conference
