5 Tips To Survive Your First Tech Conference

Last week I went to my second-ever tech conference in Portsmouth, Virginia. The conference, ACCS-VA, was focused on the higher education technology demographic. Conferences are a wonderful way to network with peers and also see what options are available from vendors to advance practices within your company.

One thing I noticed in the weeks leading up to the conference, is that no one really prepares newcomers for what’s in store for them when they attend their first conference. Each conference is different of course but here are five tips that could apply to pretty much any conference.

1. Have a plan for where you’ll be staying overnight and where you’ll get meals for the duration of the conference.

Often conferences will provide recommendations or discounts for hotels in the nearby area for those attending the conference. Some conferences will provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Some will provide lunch and dinner, and some will only provide lunch. Have a plan for when you would like to eat and have a backup plan of where you could eat if you miss scheduled conference meal times. Sessions often run during or close to lunch times so it is not uncommon to miss a scheduled meal to attend a session. Many times conferences will be located near quality restaurants within walking distance of hotels and the conference itself.

2. Know your role within your company the best you can.

Now this doesn’t mean you have to be the subject matter expert in your field, but often people will ask you everything under the sun about your company and assume you know everything about the field you’re in. If you have a pretty good grasp on your roles and responsibilities within your company, usually you can hang in there during a conversation about what all your company is involved in. Don’t be embarrassed or discouraged if you’re asked about something you have no idea about. It happens to all of us! That’s one of the good things about networking and talking to people, you get exposed to new ideas.

3. Have a goal for the conference.

Conferences are great for meeting new people and learning more about your field. Some common goals for conferences are making a new valuable connection with a peer in your field, discovering a new technology that could be beneficial to your company, practicing your networking skills, introducing yourself to different people throughout the conference, or learning a new skill!

4. Know the dress code.

Conferences are professional events, but the level of professionalism varies. You don’t want to feel out of place by being underdressed or overdressed. Tech conferences generally tend to be more on the business casual side of the dress code, but there will be vendors, salesmen, and potentially upper management from other companies that will wear suits when they attend. Either way, be comfortable. Whatever you wear, you’ll probably be wearing it all day long. Comfortable clothes and comfortable shoes are the way to go.

5. Have fun!!!

It’s your first conference, don’t ruin it by stressing over how you appear to others or if you’re making good use of the money your company spent on you to send you there. Take it all in and enjoy yourself. Meet some people, have a drink, eat some great food, and learn a thing or two. Generally, nothing is expected of you during your first tech conference other than getting yourself acclimated to the new environment and learning how to exist within the community. There will be plenty of conferences in the future for you to close all the deals and meet all the high-profile attendees. For many of you, it’ll be your first business trip so enjoy yourself!

Bonus Tip 6!

Make sure you bring an extra suitcase for all that free swag that will be thrown at you at every turn! Lots and lots of cups, flashlights, chargers, koozies, and tote bags are in your future! 😂