Why I (an introvert) was wrong about in-person conferences

I hated working in an office. I don't like phone calls and I have a confession to make... I thought I would hate my first in-person industry conference.

The reason that sentence is a confession is that my company makes most of its money from organising these things. The Global Online Marketplaces Summit held in Miami last week was the first conference we've been able to put on in-person for two and a half years and, as such, was something of a big deal for us.

As far as my boss and co-worker knew, I was looking forward to being flown around the world to network and get my first real taste of public speaking. The truth is I was dreading it.

For myself and other introverts, the prospect of having to introduce yourself to industry bigwigs whilst jet-lagged and sober is terrifying.

The thought of presenting on stage - sharing the bill with CEOs with decades of industry experience - was an added layer of horror on top of that.

"We've done virtual conferences before. Why can't we just do more of those?" I thought.

I'm very glad to say that I was wrong. Here's why...

There are other introverts in the room. Find them and you'll be okay.

I won't lie. The first coffee break was excruciating and not unlike a school disco. I furtively concentrated on just brewing my cup of tea and waited to be called back into the auditorium. Once the day's presentations were over though, the awkwardness was lubricated with beers.

In a place with hundreds of people, there are bound to be some who are checking their phones as much as you. Find them and it'll all be okay.

I met a couple of people that seemed on my level pretty quickly. By the time the final night came around we'd formed a group that just decided to play pool in the hotel bar and sack off the networking.

As long as you aren't trying to sell them something, people are generally friendly

I wasn't selling anything at this conference, thankfully. My job as the Head of Content for one of the organizers was to chronicle what was happening, make connections and get some testimonial quotes to promote future events.

Once I plucked up the courage to actually ask people about their experiences, I found that they were all very friendly and willing to talk. They were enjoying themselves.

One or two people might be aloof but the beauty is that you don't have to talk to everyone.

If the conference is any good it will actually make you better at your job

Here's the thing - my previously held belief that you can get as much from a virtual event just doesn't stand up.

Virtual events have huge drop-off rates. Sometimes they have tech issues and dead air. There is no way anyone is paying attention to 8 hours of Zoom even if the content is world-class.

I found that in person I was taking it all in, writing good notes and understanding most of the high-level stuff I was being told. The conference wasn't just useful for the content I would be making afterwards but for the content I was seeing in front of me as well.

It's all comped! Enjoy a free (work) holiday

Yes, passport control queues suck and so do jetlag and covid tests. More than likely though, there'll be a nice hotel room on the other side of all that and maybe a beach and a new city to explore too.

If all else fails, at least you get to go stay in a hotel somewhere new while not paying for any of it.