After months of having the date circled on my calendar, the SHSMD Connections conference is coming up in just two weeks! Going to industry conferences is always a fun experience, but it can be even better when you plan for how you’ll get the most out of your time.
By taking four simple steps, you can ensure you make your conference experience stick:
Participate in the conversation and read the recaps
Select and save your favorite content
Schedule any follow-up meetings ASAP
Share what you learned with others
Watch this short two-minute video to learn more:
A session you might want to check out
I'm excited about Sept. 12. Why? First, it's my birthday. Second, I will be leading a panel discussion with three of the smartest healthcare leaders that I know: Christine Albert, David Grandy, and Lisa Schiller. They will address leading teams during turbulent times.
There won't be any wordy slides for this session. Just smart panelists – and me – discussing this important issue and answering your questions.
Resources and information about the conference
SHSMD conference website – register, view sessions and more!
SHSMD on Twitter – use and follow the #SHSMD22 hashtag.
Connect or follow me on LinkedIn. I post daily recaps.
Read more about the four tips in the video
Attending a conference in person removes you from many typical distractions and commitments and provides an ideal opportunity for learning. Your primary task is to be present and absorb information. So how can you make the most of what you learned and ensure it sticks with you after you return home?
Participate in the conversation and read the recaps
Twitter and LinkedIn are both great sources for information before, during and after the event. Follow SHSMD on Twitter and use the #SHSMD22 hashtag.
Good conferences generate passionate, insightful blog posts and articles from attendees. Reading conference recaps helps you remember the most important points and exposes you to new ideas that you may have missed in sessions you didn't attend or had to step out to deal with something at work.
Select and save your favorite content
On the last day of the conference I take a brief run through of all the presentation titles and open any that look interesting to me. I save five to 10 that I feel provide solid information or spark an idea for testing and then work through them in the weeks following the conference. Not all slide decks provide useful information without context from the speakers but I think you'll be surprised by how many we do.
Schedule follow-ups quickly
If you met vendors or new colleagues whom you clicked with during the conference, schedule any phone calls, product demos or follow-up meetings ASAP. Waiting increases the likelihood that you will forget about why you wanted to do it in the first place or simply miss out on the opportunity until next year.
Share your knowledge
Hosting a department lunch and learn session to review key takeaways, sending your favorite event recaps to staff and peers and sharing a conference summary for your boss and other leaders are just a few ways to keep what you learned front and center in your own mind. You can also show one of the conference presentations during a meeting to dig into more detail in specific topics. You'll also help demonstrate the value of attending the conference and set expectations for strategies that you plan to implement or explore.
Attending a conference is a major investment of your personal time and your organization's resources. Making the most out of what you learned will keep the momentum going until SHSMD 2023!
