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A conferencing we will go…. Travelling to conferences is a different animal from vacations, and a few little tricks up your sleeve can make all the difference!
It’s been a little crazy these past couple weeks! I hit two conferences in just over a week (one of which was local). It was a whirlwind of learning + networking. Fun? Oh yeah. Exhausting? Oh yeah. There were a few little random things I learned (or reinforced) along the way, that I thought I would share.
- Bring power + a backup. I was live blogging and video casting from these two conferences. That means power is at a premium. I have a short extension cord that lives in my laptop bag + power cords for all my portable devices. I charged everything at night, and brought the cables with me just in case. (Note: I looked into the iGo Charger
, but it didn’t make sense for me. You might feel differently, so check it out HERE.
- A rolling laptop bag (or suitcase) will save your back. I have a rolling laptop bag with a telescoping handle. I have to admit it was a little cumbersome to cart around everywhere, but it was better than a migraine and a backache. (Definitely a buzz killers for socializing + working.)
- A short term data plan is your friend. I might be struck down by the wireless companies, but I don’t want a data plan 100% of the time, but there are times I do need one. So I hooked up my Blackberry to an unlimited plan for the weekend I was gone. Why? I had interviews to conduct with people who were traveling from out of the country, so we communicated via Twitter. It was very convenient, and I could keep on top of all that was going on (without it costing an arm and a leg). I got home, and a few days later went back to life without a data plan on the Crackberry. *deep sigh*
- Some comfortable earphones ease the pain. For some reason, I have some smallish ears, so regular earphones just plain hurt after about 30 minutes. Lucky for me someone recommended the JVC Marshmallow headphones
. They are way cool, as the earpiece is made of memory foam. They also block a fair amount of airplane noise. Bonus!
- A “capture tool” handy at all times. You never know when inspiration will strike, no matter where you are. So, I have a notebook in my bag at all times. (I happen to have a Moleskine
because it is a good sturdy notebook that doesn’t get torn to shreds after weeks/months of use.) The plane trip home was a great opportunity to do a brain dump, so I grabbed my notebook, put in my headphones and wrote some furious notes!
- A clipboard. My “O Myth” co-host, Krista, is the Clipboard Queen. I am a fan as well, and carry one to client appointments and when I travel. It’s a great way to capture notes, keep schedules and other info you need on the go. Love that!
- Pack your sense of humor. My trip to BlogWorldExpo 2008 started with an hour shuttle ride + 1 hour schlepping my luggage around the wrong conference center + some pretty serious hotel issues (hotel’s fault, grrr) that kept my room a distant dream until late into the night. Good think I packed my sense of humor and my comfy shoes.
What do you bring on your business trips?
