@Hannah_Museums

Tip #1 Plan your sessions in advance.

I like to use a piece of paper, or a digital timetable to roughly map out what sessions I’m interested in going to. After I’ve planned them I also make sure that I have the sessions put into my calendar with a notification 10 minutes before the session starts. Make sure the notification is on silent however so it won’t cause any disruption! Most conference organisers will have their conference schedule or programme up months in advance of the event, so you can do this well in advance of attending.

I’ve created a little pre planning, digital timetable for you to download for free below, if you’d like to give the planning a go.

Tip #2 Don’t forget to pack the essentials and anything else that will make you feel a little more comfortable during your stay.

When I’m at a conference I like to get the essential packing sorted rather early on, but I also like to pack some extras that help me to enjoy my time away and feel refreshed. Conference week can be intense, so anything that helps you to feel as comfortable as possible is always a win. For example, last year I ordered a little care package online to take with me. The care package from MAS-Q (a lovely little store on Etsy) included hot chocolate (with mini marshmallows!), tea, coffee, biscuits, chocolate and some travel sized luxury soap, shampoo, body lotion and eye masks. The pack also came with some colouring pencils, a little card to colour in and daily affirmations, which I would read each morning. The care package wasn’t an essential, but it made my hotel room feel that little bit more luxurious. I always say that it is important to treat yourself kindly during conference week, whether you’re travelling and staying in a hotel, or accessing conference content from home… treats really do help to keep you motivated and feeling good. Below you’ll find a free download available of my conference checklist which I use checklists a lot to make sure that I don’t forget anything when I’m packing for a week away from home.

Tip #3 Use social media to chat to conference goers in advance.

This tip is particularly useful for first time conference delegates, as I know that it can feel very scary making new friends. Last years Museums Association Conference was made all the better for me personally because of some of the connections I made on Twitter in advance of the conference. I decided to put a tweet out asking people if they’d like to be part of a Twitter group chat in advance of the conference, giving us a chance to get to know attendees, share tips and enjoy the hype of conference together. In the end this proved to be a great way of feeling connected with others, we even arranged to have dinner together one night of the conference and had familiar faces to look out for at the socials. Following the success of last years conference group chat, I’ve made another for Museums2022 and if you’d like to be involved feel free to DM me on twitter via @HannahRMather.

I’d also highly encourage people going to other conferences to set up some group chats as they’re great fun and you get some excellent tips from people.
Looking for other ways to network? Most conference organisers also set up apps which are set up and used by delegates throughout the conference, on these apps you can access digital programmes and you can chat with other delegates (perhaps even arrange a coffee date).

Tip #4 You don’t have to tweet / take notes on everything.

The number of people (I’ve been one of these people) who sit and take vigorous notes whilst attempting to tweet every other minute during a session is astonishing at conferences and whilst conference is very much a highly intense and immersive learning week and there are many brilliant speakers with many brilliant ideas, I’ve come to realise that I much prefer to listen and jot down a couple of points from a session that really stick. I always take note of the title of the session, the speaker and I tend to go for a maximum of 5 key points (usually 3) that I can takeaway from the session… then I make a summary tweet and check for any additional points made by colleagues online that I think are noteworthy. This way I have some key takeaway points that are easier to process. I know that most sessions will have been recorded and that I can go back over any I’d like to pick back up, but I give myself time to process the talks, having listened to them without the worry of having to get everything down. If I have follow up questions it’s then usually easy to find the speaker via the conference apps and ask them.

Tip #5 Think of ice breakers and conversation starters in advance

If you struggle with this, you might find it helpful to check out my Twitter moment from our #NetworkNight #MuseumHour discussion April 2019. There are some great tips on how you can “break the ice” at social events such as conferences, including tips for those who struggle with the notion of networking. Without a doubt networking can have strong social and career benefits, but until you gain your confidence many people can find this very daunting. If you’ve followed tip #3 from this post you’ll already have some people you’ve reached out to and that can make this a little easier, approach groups with another colleague or friend, and you’ll often find how small the museum world can be, making it easier for people to connect. It’s important to understand that you’re not alone when it comes to conference nerves, they affect us all and quite often people who attend these events are doing so for the social interaction and networking, so they in fact welcome peoples discussion. I’ve added a couple of social games / discussion points below for anyone who hasn’t already tried them.

Bonus Tip
If you’ve made it this far thank you for reading my post, I hope you’ve found some of these tips helpful. I’d like to leave you with one last tip and this is for post conference. Take some time when you’re back in the office to read through some of your key takeaways from the conference sessions. It’s helpful to jot down (when you’re at the conference) a couple of actions that you’d like to take home. When you’ve had time to rest and recover you can revisit those actions and thing about ways in which you’ll make them happen. Whether that’s calling a meeting to feedback on the things you’ve learned, or even informal chats with work colleagues.

If you write down your actions keep them visible, thinking of them as targets or goals. If you put them up on your office wall or keep them visible on your desk you’re more likely to work towards them. I’ve included an example below for you to check out.

See you next time!
H