How to Get the Most Out of a Conference — The Autodidacts

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2024-09-30 03:00:05

Conferences can be hit-and-miss. It’s easy to go through the motions on autopilot and find the experience lacklustre. Earlier on this summer, I attended one that started out lacklustre, but then became memorable, and I realized there’s a lot one can do to influence the outcome. Adam, the lurking third autodidact, has spent a good portion of the last six years going to lots of conferences, and has made something of a study of the process. Here are his brain pickings on the topic, combined with my own.

The sooner I go beyond my comfort zone and start initiating conversations with people, asking questions, etc, the better. Managing to do this early means I’ve gotten over my hesitation to initiate interactions. This makes the rest of the event more interesting and enjoyable.

At the beginning of a conference, everyone is open and looking out for who is new and interesting. This is a good time to jump in confidently with both feet, and meet as many people as possible. It’s easier for things to unfold in interesting ways if I make connections early. As the conference goes on, people tend to hang out with the people they’ve already met, so it’s harder to break into new groups and get to know people.