7 Things to Do Before You Go to a Conference • Look Them Up #6

When I was picked to go to the Michaels Maker Summit last year one of the first things I did was to look up past Summits. I learned that there'd only been one before and it was exclusive. So finding The Project Girl, Sugar Bee Craft, Craftberry Bush, Jennifer Rizzo, U-Create  and some other's posts about it got me excited and gave me a good sense of what to expect. (But even then I didn't realize how great it was going to be). People post about conferences and events all the time. Look them up. You're likely to find info that'll help you prepare. 

Unless you're going to Missouri Star Academy which it's their first. That leads us to the next thing to look up.

Look them up. "Them" meaning keynotes, presenters, panelists. "Them" meaning organizers, attendees, agendas and past conferences.  Those them. 

Some of the speakers you're likely to "know". Meaning you've heard of them, followed them and know their work. It's still good to look these people up to see what new projects or causes they are working on currently. Others may be new to you. Looking these folks up will give you insight into who they are and what they do giving you a clearer understanding before you hear them speak. 

Next look up the agenda of activities. You'll want to map out who you want to hear or what you want to see most. That goes back to what you want to learn and your purpose to going. Print out the schedule and mark the "must see - can't miss" and "like to see" events. This will make it easier to be flexible (if a class is too full or it wasn't what you thought it was going to be) and open to opportunities (visiting with an industry friend or going to a class you didn't plan on) without compromising on what you came for. Also, check if there are any add on meet ups or activities to be a part of.

Finally, look up the organizers of the conference. These people put in a lot of work to bring real value to you. Know them so you can tell them what you liked. 

It seems like a lot of "looking up" but it makes for more productive days at the event.

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Before the Conference -

1) Look up Presenters
2) Look up Past Conferences
3) Look up Organizers
4) Look up Schedule