Hard to believe so much has changed since 2019; I originally started this as a 2-part post on conference travel, and unfortunately since December 2019 when I wrote this, I have not attended one conference since in person. Here's to hoping things will continue to get better. That said, once they do, here's my "Part 2".
Continuing on with the tips…
Have Fun – But Don’t Overdo It!
Make sure to have fun as well; true you’re there for work, but you’ll work better if you balance the fun with the work.
- Remember to actually attend the conference! I see so many people “working” in a corner, plugging away at their laptop – you’re there to meet people, learn some things, and above all have some fun. Don’t spend every minute answering emails all day! (Easier said than done, and work permitting, but still)
- If you go out to an event afterwards, remember that conference attendees may be there, so stay professional and watch your alcohol intake if you imbibe. I’ve seen many people overdo it, and sometimes it ain’t good!
- Many conferences have a social network even outside of their official sites and apps; check Reddit, Discord, Kaizala, etc for conference related social networks, events, after-parties, free vendor events (food and drinks often included), and ATTEND THEM. Don’t go back to your hotel watch TV all night!
- This is your chance to try being social; if you’re usually a wallflower and stick to yourself, remember you likely won’t see these people again (at least until next year), so put yourself out there and talk and mingle. It’s hard at first but gets easier with practice, I promise. Remember they’re all there because they have something in common with you!
- Try the food; often there’s free food at various events or often a buffet at the conference itself – try something you don’t normally eat, and if you don’t like it, no harm no foul. Cities like Vegas, Philly, New York, etc are food heaven!
- Ask about conference discounts – if your conference is at a tourist trap like Orlando, see if your conference offers discount tickets to the touristy things if you have interest in going. They often do!
- Remember you need to get around; you may want to set up an Uber or Lyft account before you leave to make sure you can get back to the hotel.
Tech Tips
Here’s some tips to use other tech to your advantage:
- If you have a digital watch, set up a “travel” watch face with your itinerary, the weather for your destination, and if travelling across time zones, include both times for your destination (usually automatic) as well as the time back home to keep your head on straight. TripIt integrates awesomely into the iwatch (and I’m assuming others).
- Make sure you have a decent data plan for your phone, and download as much as you can on WIFI before going off-the-internet-grid.
- Use an app like Pocket to store articles and web sites to read on the plane, I actually use it like crazy and learn a lot while being locked in a big metal tube! You can also use Apple’s “reading list” for this as well, but Pocket works on just about anything.
- Youtube offers a premium subscription (that they remind you of 25000 times a day), but for travel purposes it works great. If you have a phone/ipad with enough storage, you can tag a few videos to be available offline while on the plane. It runs around $15/mo and you can cancel it anytime. Put a note in your calendar to remember to cancel!
- If you’re presenting at a conference, include a QR code with a link to your handouts and/or contact info so people can follow up with you
Safety Tips
This isn’t the end-all-be-all for safety, but no matter where you go, no matter how much of a tourist trap and guarded a place may be, there’s always danger around.
- Most hotels have a free safe – if it fits, lock up your laptop/tablet and other valuables before you run out to the evening events
- Jot down the 800 numbers of your various credit cards and save them somewhere accessible and safe – you may need to call them if your wallet is lost or stolen.
- Hide at least one credit or debit card somewhere separate from your wallet so you have a backup plan.
- Clean out necessary cards and paperwork from your wallet or purse, and if your wallet is falling apart, get a new one! (I once had a close call and dropped my ID thanks to a worn out wallet – thankfully someone caught up to me and returned it!)
- Use luggage locks, but they’re all junk and assume someone can get into them anyway. They keep honest people honest. Also note the tiny locks often fit on backpack zippers too!
- Make sure at least 1-2 other people have a copy of your itinerary, including contact info for your hotel and traveling partners. TripIt works good for this as well!
- Do some research on the areas you’ll be staying at, and if there’s a walk to the venue from the hotel, map it out! I’ve had conference be all indoors, and I’ve had them be in downtown Manhattan at night.
- If possible, enable Bitlocker or some other encryption on all your devices, and lock them all with a startup pin to prevent anyone from even booting them up. Likewise encrypt any USB drives or other storage media if you can
OK, I think that’s enough for now! Have a LOT of fun and enjoy your travel experiences!