I’ve been a speaker and attendee at more conferences than I can count.  One thing I’ve learned is that in order to get the most value out of your time and money is to set yourself up for success with a little pre-conference planning.

Here are 10 ways you can boost your conference experience as well as improve your networking:

1.  Study the Agenda.

When I began going to conferences, I rarely looked at all the session options.  Now, I study the agenda and have a loose plan that contains:

• Sessions that will help me immediately at work
• Sessions that challenge how I think
• At least one that is unrelated to my current role
• Time built in so that I can add a few “on the fly” when I’m there

Having room for spontaneity may lead to one of the best sessions you never would have planned on attending.

2. Connect with people on LinkedIn or follow new people on Twitter.

Start by looking up the speakers of the sessions you plan to attend.  If they are on LinkedIn, send a brief but personal message stating that you’re looking forward to their upcoming session.  Next, go on Twitter and search the conference name or, if you know it, the hashtag (i.e. #SHRM12, #ILSHRM, #HRevolution).  You will be able to follow people who are talking about the conference online before the event.  Reach out to a few of them and chat about what they are looking forward to at the conference, what sessions they are attending, etc.

3. Read blogs.

If there is a vendor hosted blog, blogs written by speakers, or other industry blogs covering the event, be sure to read them in the weeks immediately before the event.  It’s a good way to find tips that will help you have a better conference experience.

4. Meet the Speakers/ Session Leaders.

Plan to stay a few moments after the session to speak to the session leader.  Most work very hard to prepare and love to hear your feedback.  It’s also a good time to meet if you’ve previously connected on LinkedIn or Twitter. If they are not using social media, don’t forget to ask for their business card.  The biggest mistake I see professionals make today is not bringing any cards with them to conferences.  It’s still a leading way to connect after an event.

5. Arrange to meet at least 3 people in person that you connected with via LinkedIn or Twitter.

There have been many times I’ve been to an event where I did not know anyone.  It would have been easy to attend a few sessions and go back to my room, but I would never have some of the great business connections I do now if I had done that.  Even if you are shy, force yourself to be a little bit outgoing.  Using LinkedIn or Twitter to learn about someone first makes it much easier to meet them in person.  Take advantage of that.  By having a handful of people you know at least a little, your networking results should multiply as they are able to introduce you to their contacts.

6. Attend at least one session you think you may never use at work.

I used to focus only on sessions that I saw as beneficial to what I was trying to do at work.  Once I began branching out, I actually found that many of the issues and situations I learned about came in handy years later.  People tend to gravitate to what we already know so by taking this approach you are forcing yourself to open up to a different topic or way of approaching work situations.

7. Participate in arranged ice breakers or meet ups.

Anyone who has gone to a conference knows there are always the ice breakers or events that lean on the corny side.  Plaster a smile on your face and jump in with a good attitude.  I’ve found that by doing that and making sure I’m not just hanging around the people I already know, I’ve been able to meet some outstanding professionals I would have never been exposed to.

8. Take notes.

Whether you take notes in a journal or using your netbook, iPad or smartphone, find a way to document those ideas you may need to tuck away for future use.  I can’t tell you how many times I attend conferences and see professionals just sitting and listening or checking their email.  If you are going to take your valuable time and spend the funds to attend, make sure you at least have several takeaways.

9. Think of at least a handful of “to do’s” inspired by the event, then DO them and document the results.

I’ll raise my hand as “guilty” of coming back to work after an event and not doing anything productive that I learned at the event.  What a waste!  For the last three years, I write down ideas as I fly home and then over the next few months, I attempt to incorporate them into my daily job.  Sometimes something clicks and I have great results and sometimes it’s something that doesn’t stick.  Either way, I’m approaching my work with a creative and innovative spirit and using knowledge gained at the conference.

10: Have fun!  Get out an experience life in the town you’re visiting.

Grab some of your new found friends or some you’ve had for years and hit a restaurant that only locals typically haunt.  Take tons of pictures then share them on Flickr or FaceBook so you can keep the conversation going when you’re back home.  By interacting with business professionals in the more formal daytime setting and also getting to know them better in casual settings too, you’ll strengthen the networking results by forming a closer bond than if you were to just attend sessions and head back to your room to “work” each night.

Remember, there are many reasons professionals attend conferences.  The reason with the most benefit is networking.  By trying new ways to boost your networking skills and opportunities you will come home knowing you had a successful event!

If you’ll be at the upcoming SHRM Annual Conference in Atlanta, the IL SHRM Conference or HRevolution/ The HR Technology Conference in the fall, you can connect with me on Twitter (@TrishMcFarlane), through my blog or via email atTrishaM89@gmail.com.

I hope to meet you there!

Since 2009, HRevolution has been creating unique opportunities for HR professionals, recruiters, consultants, and vendors to come together to discuss and debate the future of HR.  We are excited to announce our 2012 event….

HRevolution Chicago
October 7, 2012
McCormick Place
8:00 am- 4:30 pm
Click here to register

HRevolution will be partnering with The HR Technology Conference in a ground-breaking event in both content, format, and delivery of ideas that are key to the practice of human resources.  HRevolution is not your typical conference either.  Our main purpose is to grow your professional and personal network. You will network with 200 of the brightest and most innovative leaders in the industry. Other benefits include:

• Fully participatory sessions
• Opportunity for participants to bring work issues to debate and discuss
• Workable solutions you can take home to your organization
• Increased reach-  since HRevolution is fully integrated with social platforms, you will be reaching hundreds of thousands of professionals

All past events have sold out, so be sure to register today!  Early bird pricing for the first 25 registrants will be $150.  General registration is $200.  Where else can you have access to top industry professionals for that low price?  Nowhere!  Thanks to our generous sponsors who help defer your costs, you can get both value and quality at HRevolution 2012!

Special HR Technology Conference Discount

HRevolution is excited to be co-locating again with the world-famous HR Technology® Conference & Expo – this time Oct. 8 – 10 in the self-contained West Wing of McCormick Place, Chicago.

HR Technology® is one of the large must-attend HR events of the year because it gathers a community with the knowledge and experience to solve your HR challenges and advance your career. Learn how technology can help you with every aspect of HR including managing your workforce, recruiting and attracting quality employees, identifying and developing your top performers, and much more.

Best of all, after you register for HRevolution you get a whopping $600.00 discount off the HR Technology® on-site rate. Look for the savings promo code at the bottom of your HRevolution confirmation email.

If you are interested in being a corporate sponsor of HRevolution, contact me at TrishM89@gmail.com for information. 

*Special thank you to the dedication of the planning committee including Ben Eubanks, Crystal Peterson, Matt Stollak and Steve Boese.  I could not do this without your incredible heart, drive and commitment!

I’ll write more about HRevolution in future posts but today, I’d like to share my thoughts and observations about the HR Technology Conference.  Since 1998, this is the premier conference for technology advances in the HR space.  And, as a practitioner for many years, it never occurred to me to attend until three years ago.  Even then, I did not fully understand the positive impact that learning more about HR technology would have on my career.  Taking time to learn about the technological advances in the profession along with the opportunity to network with industry insiders is priceless.  If you’ve never been to The HR Technology Conference, I’d like to share my perspective on the value you can gain.

The Sessions and Speakers

This is one of the few conferences in the human resources industry to adapt the sessions to the specific needs of different types of participants.  They offer traditional presentation style sessions on a wide array of topics, debates among leaders in the space, panels to allow the participants to ask questions of experts and even a new HRevolution unconference-style experience so that participants are fully engaged in discussion and participation.

The topics offered cover workforce planning, talent intelligence, understanding and incorporating social technologies and HCM analytics, to name a few.  And each year, you’ll hear vendors and clients sharing stories of how real, day-to-day workplace issues were solved using technology.

The Expo Hall and Vendors

A trip through the expo hall can be one where great value and insight is gained.  It can also be an intimidating place where a practitioner can feel completely overwhelmed.  Even worse, many HR conferences fill in the gaps with vendors who are there to sell purses, jewelry or other non-business related items.  You won’t find that here.

The expo hall at The HR Technology Conference provides the opportunity to see live demos of solutions.  Almost every vendor will take time to get to know what your business needs are, then show you how their product can help fill the gap.  You’ll see familiar names like Monster, Aquire and ADP.  You’ll also find smaller start ups who are taking social to a whole new level.  So, whether you work for a large, global employer or a small business, you’ll find solutions you need.

The Networking Events

Sure, this year the conference was in Las Vegas and I know that alone can give the impression of never-ending parties.  For some who seek it out, that can be the reality.  However, for most practitioners, you can find a good number of events that are fun and provide the ultimate networking experience.  This year, I was fortunate to attend several events where I met CEOs, CHROs, consultants, analysts and other practitioners.  They included events hosted by The Starr Conspiracy, Monster, Knowledge Infusion and several industry leaders.  These events are one of the best reasons to attend.  I have learned more and made lasting professional relationships here that is worth the cost of the ticket year after year.

The Cost/ Benefit Analysis

The price of a ticket is small considering all the benefits of attending.  Typically starting several months before the event, you can find discount codes with hundreds off the registration fee.  And, if you start planning for 2012 now, you can find great travel deals for your accommodations.  The HR Technology Conference will be back in Chicago on October 8th, 2012.  Be sure to mark your calendar for February 2012 when registration opens.  The conference will also offer scholarships to help qualifying individuals attend.

Thank you to Bill Kutik, David Schadovitz, Claude Werder and LRP Publiciations for hosting one of the top HR events each year!

In this episode, we chat about HRevolution, the HR Technology Conference and what is going on in the world of business.  Please click through to take a listen…

Trish McFarlane on Drive Thru HR Radio

Sackett makes time for adoring fans

Today I have the opportunity to share an interview with Tim Sackett, HR pro, VP and self-proclaimed “Most Powerful Man in HR.”  Tim recently sat down with Kyle Lagunas from Software Advice.  They talked about the future for HR professionals, the impact of technology, talent communities, critical thinking and more.  Here’s a little taste:

Q: Ongoing training and learning is a popular strategy for retention. But which is more effective: talent learning programs or the actual opportunity for growth?

Sackett: Without a question, it’s the opportunity for growth. Companies will spend billions of dollars on talent development programs this year. The main reason they do that is either to try and placate employees they don’t have growth opportunities for, or to keep someone in place until he or she is ready to grow.

For the most part, if you can keep people satisfied and let them know there’s a growth plan for them, they’ll stay around. But that’s where a lot of companies fail in their development. They say, “We need you to get better at this.” But why do I need to get better at that? Where’s it going to lead me? They’ll say, “If you want to be promoted, you have to have better soft skills,” but what’s that promotion and when is it going to happen?

It’s tough. There’s a very small part of our population that can take a look at a talent development program and feel like, “This is the right thing for me now.” Our tendency is to say, “Let me go do it right now.” It’s hard to find those individuals that will say, “You’re right, Tim. I need to do this for three more years.”

So, is Tim Sackett truly the most powerful man in HR?  Or, is he more of an international man of mystery?  Who can really say?  Either way, he’s a smart and witty HR pro worth hearing more from.  Want to read more?  Click through for the full interview…..  There are also rumors you may get to meet him at the upcoming HRevolution so get registered today if you aren’t already.