What are the best ways to make the most of a conference as a young professional?

I find it takes several hours ahead of time to look carefully through the program and decide what talks I want to go to. I make sure to have business cards at the ready, and if I liked the talk I will introduce myself at the end of the talk to the speaker and ask to give them my card. Hopefully they give you one back, and then connect with them after the conference on LinkedIn! Add a personal note reminding them where you met ("We met at SfN and I'd appreciate being connected here."). You never know where those connections will lead!

Often times attendees connect with speakers on LinkedIn after a conference session takes place, at a time in which speakers are bombarded with messages and connection requests. However, a hidden gem when doing your conference homework is connecting with speakers/panelists before the conference, even going the extra step of sending them a message telling them why you’re looking forward to their session. Not only does this help the speaker/panelist know what attendees are hoping to get out of the session, but it gives you a leg up in your in-person conversation with the speaker/panelist.

I think engaging and interacting is the best way to network at a conference. Asking insightful questions to a presenter can get you noticed by everyone in the room. At a past ISYE conference, I spoke up from the audience when everyone else was quiet. Two other audience members approached me afterwards to meet and connect. They in turn introduced me to numerous other attendees over the following two days.

Something often overlooked is the ability to connect also on a personal level in professional events. There are boundaries to this and it is a delicate tricky dance; but once you master it, it really is a game-changer. After hours of sessions and workshops, we all need to remember we are just humans. Talk about how your work resonates with you, how it makes you happy. Ask about family, challenges and ideas. Opens the room for comfortable communication and enhances potential future collaborations.

Use the LinkedIn QR Code on our phones to connect with new contacts. A powerful way to network and stay connected. Love in-person conferences - the synergy, opportunities to learn, grow and contribute.

You do not have to fill every waking hour with a session. Plan time to recharge, explore the city a but, and meditate on what you've been learning. You will likely feel the need to be constantly on so give yourself some time to relax.

It is important to give yourself time to decompress. Do your best not to get overwhelmed by the great information from the sessions you attend. You don't need to spend every minute in a session or networking. You won't enjoy the experience, network as well, or retain the information if you don't give yourself the grace to step back and recharge.

Have a list of things for "what am I taking back to my job", it's easy to sit in sessions and hear how these great teams and companies are doing their work, but take a sessions off, write out a roadmap of what you've learned and bring 3-5 things back. Do a presentation for your boss/staff on what you learned, what you want to integrate and how you plan to level up.

Journal your experience by creating two columns in a notepad or Word document. Column 1 titled ‘What I Heard’ - here you document key messages that speakers have shared. Column 2 titled ‘What This Means For Me’ - here you identify what resonates, what questions you might have, what challenges your thinking. A great journaling task that is differentiated, purposeful and relevant :)

Choose just three things you have learned at the conference that you want to implement and make a concrete plan as to how and when these will be implemented