Attending a Conference? Don’t Be Afraid to Walk Out
by Joan Eisenstodt /After reading our article on “6 Ways to Get More Out of Your Next Conference,” meetings guru Joan Eisenstodt weighed in with a few more suggestions for readers.
Before the conference
• Be prepared. Bring something on which to take notes, whether electronic or for hand-scribing.
• Do you have difficulty with mobility, hearing or seeing? Check the venue online to ascertain how big it is and rent an electric scooter if needed. (If your disability is covered under the Americans With Disabilities Act, or ADA, the conference sponsor will most likely have to pay for the rental.)
If the registration form doesn’t ask what you need to fully participate, let conference organizers know. This includes any needs you have for an interpreter or assistance with vision/visual items as well information about the venue’s accessibility if you have mobility issues.
Onsite
• Tweet your location so you can meet up with others who want to talk. Those conversations are often the best conversations that result in problem-solving, something you came to the conference to do. (Arranging meet-ups is especially important when session rooms are setup with straight long rows; they’re not meant for interaction.)
• Check emergency exits in all parts of the facility in which you are attending a conference. Things happen and you want to be able to get out quickly and easily.
During sessions
• If a speaker plans to wait until the last few minutes for Q&A, tweet your question and ask others to respond so you get the help you need when you need it.
• Use what used to be called the "law of two feet" and is now referred to (by some of us) as the "law of motion and responsibility." If the session is not working for you, walk out.
• If you do walk out of a session, you don't have to do the "Groucho walk" when you exit. (Groucho’s walk was sort of hunched over, which is how people leave sessions when they don’t want to be seen.) It’s OK to be seen exiting early; a good speaker should understand the principle. And you can still sit in the front at the start.
• Laugh! Find the humor in all things. Laughter releases endorphins which add to your energy. Instead of filling up on coffee, have a few belly laughs.
Joan Eisenstodt is president of Eisenstodt Associates, LLC, in Washington, D.C., and a meetings and hospitality consultant, facilitator and trainer. Follow Joan on Twitter: @joaneisenstodt.