Avoiding Post-Conference Overload

Amanda: I, too, used to suffer from post-conference overload. A lot! Very often when I attend a conference, I am both a speaker and an attendee, so the overload can be magnified.

I always seem to end up with  a stack of business cards. I find making a note on the back of the business card is extremely helpful. It tells me where I met the person (my session, someone else's talk, a social event) and what they want from me (just to keep in touch, copy of my powerpoint presentation in color, the full version of an abbreviated quiz I used, a contact information, website etc).

It also helps to organize business cards in one place before leaving the conference; it could be in an envelope or in one pocket of the conference bag. In the past, I have been known to find business cards in suit jackets months after a conference.

I often meet people socially, in a group after a talk,  while rushing through the halls or in an elevator- short interactions that are easy to forget or to get confused with each other. Though not politically correct, I sometimes write  a physical description or other odd fact that will jog my memory.

Another thing I do is go through my conference-bag within a week of returning home. I collect notes, pads, pens, cups etc and have found several bags loaded with "stuff" in a closet years after a conference. Now, I unpack and dispose of stuff ASAP, including passing on to others what I am unlikley to use. This includes handouts, brochures or other information.

I also make contact with people ASAP- sending requested info, or reminding them of information they promised me. It's remarkable how quickly I will forget what additional "must-have" information I wanted from Speaker So and So.

While attending the Conference I make a conscious effort not to attend every single session I am interested in, and also not to feel obligated to learn everything onsite. I have gotten much  more forgiving about missing an early morning or post lunch session. That makes the conference more enjoyable and the post-session period less stressful as well.