By Thomas Davis, CRNA, MAE, Lt. Col. (ret)
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Professional organizations of every description tend to favor autumn for gathering their respective flocks and commonly select popular locations for their meeting. You survived the heat and the extra shifts that were required to cover your colleague’s summer vacations, now it’s your turn to enjoy a well-earned break by attending a national or state meeting of your profession. Pre-planning for the Meeting Season positions you to learn more, make more contacts and get more enjoyment during your time away from home.
Organize
Prior to travel, spend your google time discovering venues that you will enjoy. For some, activities such as hiking, biking or walking is appealing, whereas others may prefer dining, shopping or shows. Every community is unique and history buffs, amateur archaeologists and bird-watchers may find something of interest if they look. Whatever your pleasure, research what is available in the community and make reservations for the things that enhance your travel experience.
Well before the flight, confirm your hotel and reserve transportation for arrival at and departure from the destination airport, review the meeting agenda and download the meeting app if there is one. During flight, spend your time reviewing information regarding the meeting and local community to ensure that you take full advantage of both.
Some attendees are sponsored by employers and must submit documents for reimbursement while others pay out of pocket and need documents to claim a tax deduction. Either way, pre-planning allows you to submit documents seamlessly. Here are some proven tips for organizing your travel:
- Use your phone to organize information that you will want at hand while traveling. Upload flight information and boarding passes as well as the customer service phone number for the airline that you are using. Use the note pad app to store the address and phone number of the hotel where you will be staying…it simplifies the process when you get in a cab.
- Use your computer to set up a folder specifically for the meeting in your documents section. The folder can have sub-folders for travel, lodging and daily expenses and personal expenditure. When you first book your flight and make hotel arrangements, put receipts in the folder. At the hotel check-out, request an email receipt and when it arrives, save it in your meeting folder. Excel has several pre-made templates for spreadsheets to collect travel expenses such as meals or Uber fare; download and use to simplify tracking reimbursable expenses.
Socialize
Your professional meeting offers the gratification of renewing acquaintances with former classmates and coworkers along with the networking opportunity to meet national leaders and those who are recognized in education, innovation or leadership. A meeting can also provide fertile ground for expanding your network of peers. Socialize at gatherings and extend a hand to the people who have names that you know, opening your vision to connect with new people who may add depth to your network.
Members of many professional organizations have created user groups on social media. Meet those whom you connect with online by posting a time and place for the group to meet in person and interact with one another.
Customize
Hello and a hand shake is a social start, but the real value of networking is being able to connect in the future. For starters, plan to exchange your contact information with those you meet by having business cards readily available. To avoid losing the stash of newly acquired cards, create a business card photo album on your phone to capture and store information that will enable you to initiate future contact. Once you’re back in your hotel room each day, take a picture of each business card you wish to keep and drop them in your card album. Add yourself as a contact on your phone and then quickly exchange information by sending your contact information directly to those you meet.
Optimize
Prior to the meeting assess your personal interests and educational needs, then peruse the agenda and make sure that you attend the sessions that are most beneficial to you. When two sessions that capture your interest are held concurrently, enlist a friend to attend one talk while you attend the other and then compare notes later. Look around and try to sit with new people who you have just added to your network.
Optimize the time you spend with vendors by first assessing your department’s greatest needs for equipment and seek out the vendors with the products that you need. The larger the meeting, the more eager vendors are to introduce new equipment and the latest updates to existing devices. Sign up for samples and demonstrations and if you make a must-have discovery, collect vendor contact information for follow-up after the meeting.
Summary
Whether your autumn plans include a national meeting, a state gathering or both, your return on investment will be enhanced with a little pre-planning. Beyond earning continuing education credit, a live meeting provides a wealth of opportunities to connect and grow professionally, and to have a great time doing it.
Thomas Davis is a noted leader, educator, speaker and clinical anesthetist.
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