It may seem a little bit presumptuous of me to give advice when I've only attended one conference, but I figure I'll never be in a better position to know exactly what it's like to be a first-time attendee. That said, here are my top tips for attending a conference the first time:
Do your homework. If at all possible, find out who is coming, what they sell, and get a rough idea what their wares would cost you over the Internet (other other methods of purchase). I had a pretty good idea which booths I was the most interested in and would've been able to get what I came for even if I hadn't had all the extra time.
Make a list. Or two. What do you think you'll need for next year? If you've already been homeschooling, figure out what curriculum you like (that you might need new workbooks for, perhaps) and what curriculum just didn't work for you. Make a note to check out alternatives to the not-working stuff. Get a rough idea of what you want before you ever get there, because once you get there, you will be overwhelmed if you just jump in there and start buying. Either you'll buy too much or you'll just throw your hands up and not buy a thing.
Try to go with a friend, if possible. It's not necessary to hang out all the time together (we didn't), but it's nice to have someone to bump into occasionally and know that someone would miss you if that stack of Saxon Math books fell over and buried you.
Plan, intentionally, to miss a workshop session. Yep, you heard me. Use the time to get the exhibitor hall practically to yourself. You'll be able to assimilate a lot more about the products and you won't be overwhelmed with yet one more speaker's information stuffed in your head. You can buy a tape if you really just can't miss anything.
Never buy the first time around. Walk away (politely!) and wait. If you can make the time (and you should!), sit somewhere relatively quiet and pray over your purchasing decisions. At the very least, walking away can prevent a few impulse buys that you might regret later.
Pack a lunch/ dinner. Yes, you could leave the conference and go out to eat, but you're wasting your time in the getting there. You can also save a lot of money buy bringing food from home. (Do make sure this is allowed). If you have to, you can eat in your car.
Get out of the building at least once during the day. Get some air. Re-acquaint yourself with the sun. Realize there is life beyond books, gadgets, credit cards, and booths.
Don't be afraid to ask questions. There are no stupid questions and all the vendors I encountered were more than happy to share their knowledge with me. (I have to wonder if most people just don't bother to ask!) Of course, this goes really well with Tip #4; if you miss a workshop session, you'll have less competition for the vendor's attention while you're doing the questioning. Do try to remember to buy from the vendors who are nice enough to answer you, though.
Remember that the vendors are PEOPLE. Find out what you have in common if they seem open to doing so. Some are exceptionally friendly. Some are a little quiet. Most are passionate about their product(s), however, and enjoy having someone appreciate that.
Finally, HAVE FUN. It's not life and death if you miss the best deal on next year's science curriculum. You won't burn in eternal bad-homeschool-mom hell for choosing a slightly more expensive workbook from this vendor because you didn't realize it was at that vendor, too. The world will not spin off its axis if you don't get in to hear your favorite speaker. If you start dwelling on everything that goes wrong, though, you won't enjoy a minute of the conference. That would be a waste. HAVE FUN.
Hope someone who is going to be a first-timer finds this useful. :)
Hello Chelo,
How do you pronounce your name? Just like the instrument? But that would be two "l"s wouldn't it? Not necessarily.
Anyhooo, I would love to be accountability partners. This baby weight is not coming off as quickly as it did with the last three, but then again I was heavier when I got pregnant this time. I'm certainly not helping things much with my eating habits and since we've moved I don't go up and down the stairs to get to the bathroom/bedrooms like I did in our previous home. Not to mention that I'm not getting any younger.
So, how would you like to keep each other accountable? I was going to do your menu thing that you had posted, but quickly realized that I don't want anyone to have to depend on me to put a menu together. Also, I don't think I could use anyone else's menu. Maybe one or two things. One of the things I've started is trying to create a rotating menu based on some of our favorite meals. That was a little tough, believe it or not, so I started out slowly and planned our meals based on the meat (which I just blogged about doing the opposite way and basing it around a vegetable!!). So every other Sunday we have roast chicken and the opposite ones a pot roast. Monday is leftover if it's a roast and some sort of fish if we had chicken the night before, etc. I am so, so bad at preparing a menu. That is my biggest weakness. Also, planning to eat vegetables and fruits is tough. I remember at dinner, but it's so much easier to make mac and cheese for lunch and leave it at that. I'm really doing my children a diservice. I tend to get emotional about food because of what I ate as a child. A lot of us do. Who doesn't associate french fries with burgers? Or how about a coke or thick shake with it? Donuts on a Sunday morning? Sausage or bacon with eggs?? I KNOW a lot about healthy eating and how different foods affect the body. I can do it, I just don't. So that has to change.
E-mail me if you want to plan something out together. If you want I'll photocopy that article that I read in Countryside. For starters, get that water going!
Jennifer :)
I hope I can make it to the conference this year. I just have to find a babysitter. If I am able to go, I am taking a copy of your blog (smile). You have some great advice.
Great advice! So many moms come into our booth overwhelmed.. Your advice will go along way to help reduce that feeling. And, you're right, vendors are people, too! I LOVE talking to customers....I find out about some neat curricula and resources that way. Loved the comment about the sunshine...that is so true. I had to do that last year at our state conference...literally! I get absorbed in the microcosim of the conference and need to step away. The sunshine seems to clear the head. Now, if I could only solve the problem of credit card limits :)
