HSMG Conference Tip 5 of 5: How Not To Miss Each and Every Workshop

This blogpost is the last in a series of tips for attending the Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild (HSMG) Conference in Miami next month. This tip is about how to not to miss each workshop. If you're attending this year's conference, or planning to attend future conferences, my hope is that you'll find these tips helpful.

Upon check-in at the HSMG Conference registration you'll receive a folder (see below), along with a fabulous goodie bag. The folder contains the conference schedule. View the schedule online at the HSMG website for pre-conference planning (which I highly recommend).

This is my folder from last year's conference in Denver.

The first thing you'll notice is that there are two tracks running throughout most of the conference. This means you'll have to make a choice as to which track you choose. There are already sessions that I'm torn between, and this is where a gameplan comes in handy:

1. Partner with one or two other conference attendees. It is easier to keep track of if you only partner with one or two people. Otherwise you'll be chasing down too many people during the conference. If you don't know anyone read How to Get Your Social Media Game On Before and After the Conference blogpost (see link below).
   
   
2. Determine who will attend each session. Divide and conquer!
   
   
3. Take an extra handout for each of your "teammates" per session.
   
   
4. Take legible notes for each session on a separate piece of paper. Or bring a laptop and type up your notes.
   
   
5. Email your typed notes to your teammates. Or if you have handwritten notes, use the hotel copy machine (or scan when you return home and email to your teammates).
   
   
6. Schedule an end of day "briefing session" with your teammates to distribute handouts. During this time, while the information is fresh in your mind, point out any key observations that were made during the workshop.

Simple as that! You won't feel as if you missed a thing. Also, you will have networked with two industry colleagues that you may or may not have known previous to the conference.

You can read the prior posts here: Why You Should Pack an Extra Suitcase or Box; How to Get Your Social Media Game on Before, During and After the Conference; Even if You're Shy Just Say Hi; and An Open Mind Could Lead to More Sales.

Want to connect with me?

http://www.backporchsoap.com
Are you Twittering? Follow Me: http://twitter.com/BackPorchSoap
Find Me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BackPorchSoap

See you in Miami!