One of my favorite experiences at the JavaOne conference was sitting in a packed room waiting for Venkat Subramaniam to begin his presentation. Two younger people sat on either side of me, and I asked them if they had seen him speak before. When they both acknowledged that they hadn’t, I just smiled and said, “You’re in for a treat!” I was taking a number of notes during the presentation and saw a few people taking pictures of the screen. After his always amazing presentation, I saw two beaming faces who said to me, “You were right!”
Afterward, it occurred to me that a number of people are new to the conference circuit and don’t really know how to maximize their conference experience. They just attend the sessions, maybe take notes, collect some swag from the sponsor booths, and go home. What a waste! In service of your maximizing your conference experience, I offer the following:
- The primary goal of the presentation is to whet your appetite, not be a training session. They give you just enough information to get you interested, and then more information for you to continue your research afterward. Do take notes on insights you get at the sessions, to be sure. But most importantly, get the links and contact information of the speaker so you can find out more later.
- Meet the speaker. If you have any interest in the topic, make it a point to meet the speaker afterward. The speaker is clearly enthusiastic about the topic and would welcome any detailed discussion with others who show any interest. You may meet a new friend and kindred spirit!
- Make friends. It’s ok to skip a few sessions. The proverbial “hallway session” is usually much more valuable than any information you might learn at a session. The point of an in-person (and usually online) conference is to network. Especially at a big conference like JavaOne, it is a great way to meet people around the world who take an interest in the same things you do. It can be a great way to get or give a referral for a new job. You get to meet people who are excited about technology and personal development. These are the kinds of people you want to work with!
- Vendor booths are for more than just swag. Find out about the products. You may find that they could help you in your current work. If you find their company interesting, don’t be afraid to ask about job openings. Again, if you’re at a conference and looking for opportunities, you clearly have the snap to offer a lot to a potential employer. You never get to find this out if you just grab a fidget spinner or pair of socks and walk off.
- Know how to connect using LinkedIn’s QR code scanner. You will meet a lot of interesting people. Emails can be useful, but if you misspell it, it’s useless. Twitter handles are a little better as you can search a name and match a picture. But if you have a LinkedIn account and are ready to share your QR code, you can make a quick connection very easily. Bonus idea: Whenever you connect with someone, send them a message like, “Great to meet you at the SonarSource booth at JavaOne” so that later, when you are communicating, you can remember how you know this person.
- Review your time at the conference afterward. Similar to what I’ve said before (three to remembers) you want to review soon after the original learning so you can remember it longer. Go back and read the notes you took. Get the pictures you took and attach notes explaining what was going on there and what the picture is about – especially if it’s a new person you met.
- Follow up with the people you met. Drop them a line. Let them know who you are (as they may have forgotten) and how you met. It’s much easier to keep in touch with people around the world than it used to be. Take advantage of our new ways of communicating. You never know when you will need to ask a question, or answer a question. And you never know how a friendship might develop.
The bottom line is that a conference is primarily about networking, and secondarily about learning new technologies and product roadmaps. Be a friend. Make a friend. Attend the social events. Break out of you your comfort zone and stop being a wall flower. Reach out. A conference can really change your life. I know many have changed mine!
What is a way that you make it a point to meet new people at conferences and even local meetups?