What Conferences Mean to My Professional Growth
Once upon a time I was invited to a conference which hosted young social entrepreneurs. I was barely 20 years old. For some new kids this age might seem a bit too late, but for me it was one of the best opportunities given so far. This was the first time I faced the challenge of delivering public presentations. In school we were never taught how to schedule, organize and run a presentation. Formal education was based on old curriculum covering only hard theory. So, it was all "in theory" rather than "in praxis" . On the other hand, non-formal education is what filled in the gaps between the knowledge and interactive / practical approach.
Knowing the language is one of the key elements when preparing a presentation. Like each conference, its presentations have to be very well planned and organized (assuming potential risks, obstacles and technical issues). Maybe the biggest problem for delivering a presentation is time management. Like in the news report, you shall always attract the audience with the strong opening message, and then elaborate it with strong and measurable arguments. Of course, you learn that by listening people on conferences, seminars or training sessions. But, when it's turn to you, the situation gets more difficult because you always ask yourself: am I interesting enough to them?
For me, presentations on conferences are a way to show that you consciously want to eliminate the fear of getting it to public or a way to have fun while informing people about something extraordinary you've done. In conferences you meet influencers, people who are respected for their professional achievements. So, you learn from the best. Moreover, conference's moderators and/or speakers establish communication with participants, which is also one of the most important things for the learning process. A two-way communication is the best way to improve not only the knowledge about a certain topic, but also to develop skills such as: active listening, answering with an argument, debating, assertive communication and even multicultural dialogue. If you live in the global world (like we all do), that's a prerequisite for becoming successful in your business.
Now, to get back to the benefits of conferences to my professional growth. When you attend one conference, you would probably like it and want more. That was in my case. I was looking for opportunities to apply and attend conferences on national and also international level. Each of them had a different topic covered, so, we (the participants) always had one extra experience. At conferences we lived as teams, not individuals. Group work was always done in teams. If the team was well-organized (team roles divided, timing is okay, communication is on the high level), then the final outcome would never lacked being noticed and awarded.
So, conferences do not build its organizers - they build a group but also every individual. Taking part in such events for me was:
1. Taking the most positive attitudes - if you are clever enough, then each conference should be successful for your inner wealth. Learn to absorb the positive energy and all the good things you see in speakers, organizers or participants. Leave the bad things behind and remember only the ones that can help you grow.
2. Fast-building key presentation skills - good preparation, time management and contact with the audience is what makes a quality presenter. If you deliver the outcome as a member of a team, then your team relies on you as a leader and the one that will bring a group's success forward.
3. Learning how to become an entrepreneur - in my opinion, conferences and training sessions are the best places to find a potential entrepreneur in yourself. At these venues you learn how to create ideas fast, develop and manage them. You learn how to communicate and work in groups, but also how to recognize if you are a team leader. This is not so common during formal education tuition.
4. Making a quality network - multiculturalism is a part of a modern world. We do not act locally anymore. Digital communication channels have made it possible: we communicate without any barriers. People who attend conferences are similar to me or you - they are qualified individuals. Live networking is the best step to maintain tight connections in the future.
5. To learn what is sustainable and what the outer world looks like - being subjective in work is a no go. We might have a great idea, but, without appropriate advice (the objective one), we cannot be sure if this idea will see the light of the day. Sustainability is what we need in business. To achieve that, we have to be aware of how others do it; which markets are the best and what is new and popular. Only this way our efforts can have a practical meaning.
After numerous of successful conferences I took part in, and a 3 years' break in between (which is a lot!), now I'm heading to SparkMe conference which is really a different one. No because I simply want to go, but because you can feel its energy right now. All you've previously learned about successful conferences is what you already see in Spark conference. Positive attitude, entrepreneurial spirit, excellent organization and good (quality) people. What more to ask than to look forward to it! So, if you are thinking the same way, face your fears and doubts and apply now.
Image credits: Abisolutions UK, Google search images