I've just returned from the 2010 National Conference on Volunteering and Service in New York City, where 6,000 attendees wore matching name badges but only rarely had the chance to interact. No event of this size can be truly satisfying. It might have some fun moments and, by the luck of the draw, someone at your table in a workshop might be a great "find" for networking. But if what you want is real learning and sustainable exchange, avoid the mammoth circus in favor of events gathering under 1,000 people.
For example, consider attending a state or provincial conference on volunteer management. These rarely have the money for plenary sessions with glitz and hoopla and so can focus on skill development workshops and participant interaction. I have never found a planning committee that wasn't thrilled by a registration from another geographic area (and when one comes in from another country, there is genuine excitement). You can find (and submit a posting for) regional conferences in the events area of the Energize Web site.
Here are some ways to decide if a conference might meet your needs:
- See if there is an online description of the conference that gives details about the speakers and topics to be covered. If the organizers can share such details in advance, there is a greater chance that the event will actually deliver what it promises. Ultimately, avoid conferences that cannot describe their program (even in a personal e-mail or phone call), or have many slots with "to be announced."
- Consider physical logistics. Conferences are always better if they have a home base. Be cautious about events that scatter registrants across three or more hotels, since that means people sleeping off site will not remain in the primary hotel's lobby or restaurants. This cuts down on your networking opportunities and increases the amount of energy you will expend during the event, too.
- Are you attracted to the location? Visiting a new or appealing city is always a good reason to pick one conference over another - really. Does the event have off-site learning opportunities such as field visits or service projects? Even better.
- Learn about the keynote speakers. Often the presenters in break-out sessions are local, which is fine. As with any conference, you will find a range of solid speakers and inexperienced speakers, which is not necessarily a big problem in a small group (if the person at least has something worthwhile to share). But in a plenary session, you want to be sure of quality. Personally, I try to avoid "celebrities" such as local tv news anchors and all politicians! Google the names of the speakers and learn more about them.
- Do not assume that travel will be expensive. I have learned one truth from my airline experiences: you cannot predict the cost of a ticket! Before you nix an event because of distance, check a travel booking site and see whether there are any special deals available. This includes checking what a room at the conference hotel costs if you do not book through the conference. Very often you can get a better price on the room than the so-called "special conference rate." It's worth a try.
- Contact whoever is listed under "for more information." We are a friendly field. The person acting as contact point will be more than happy to answer your questions, both about the conference itself and about the people who usually attend - and also about what to do on a visit to the area.
It always amazes me that people will go to a giant national conference without any advance notice of what will happen there, while a little bit of exploration will uncover conferences far less expensive and far more useful. Give it a try - maybe I'll see you off the beaten path!