Whether you are a convention veteran or a newbie, if you don’t plan ahead you run the risk of wasting time and can miss out on presentations of interest or making a valuable contact. Here are a few steps on how to make the most of your convention experience.

• Plan your stay. It is very convenient to use the hotel provided by the convention. Having a room in the same building or directly adjacent to the convention can save you a lot of walking and it will make it easier to take a quick break, drop off materials, or have a quiet place that you can go to during break sessions. Additionally, staying at the hotel offered by the convention can save you money. Conventions will offer their attendees rooms at special pricing and you can save yourself parking fees. Parking at conventions can be expensive, and are not always guaranteed to be near the event.

• Examine the convention website. Often times they will list a map of the floor space along with a list of the vendors participating. Review the list of vendors and choose ones that most interest you. Then map out their location so you can plan your time accordingly to ensure that you leave enough time for each vendor. This will help you make the most of your time rather than wandering around acres of floor space.

• Review the schedule. It is always a good idea to review all of the workshops and sessions to decide which ones you should attend. If necessary, delegate the task of attending sessions to colleagues who are traveling with you or consider obtaining the handouts if you are not able to attend in person.

• Bring your business cards. One of the benefits of attending a convention is to network and meet important contacts. Don’t be shy about handing out your business cards or asking for other people’s contact information. Introduce yourself to people sitting near you in sessions, workshops, and on the trade show floor. If you are job hunting, it is also a good idea to have a resume readily available.

• Take time to follow-up. Soon after you return home from the convention, organize the business cards you collected. Be sure to follow up with the contacts you made within one week of the event – this helps people remember you and your occupation.  After attending several conventions, you will have built a great list of people to add to your business networks.