How to get the most out of your next conference

As you read this, I’m somewhere between Melbourne airport and Cairns, heading to the Global Speakers Summit. Five days of big ideas, brilliant humans and humidity that can curl a concrete slab.

These are my people. Professional speakers, obsessed with using the stage to inspire, challenge and spark change, always in the service of our audience.

And this year, I’m on stage too. Thanks to last year’s PSA Educator of the Year award, I’m presenting alongside other previous winners, which feels equal parts surreal and just so stomach-flippy. Please wish me luck!

Conferences are such a gift, but let’s be honest, they can also flatten you.

There are back-to-back sessions, big conversations, and late-night chats that begin with ‘just one drink’ and can end with you making a new best friend from Zurich and loosely agreeing to write a book together.

So, I’ve learned to go in with a plan.

I start the day with an early morning walk and meditation. During the day, I drink more water than feels natural and avoid face-planting into sugar (my weakness!) just because there are muffins nearby.

I also leave some white space in the schedule, because sometimes the smartest thing you can do is skip a session and let your brain catch up. And to help with my FOMO, I find a conference buddy to swap notes.

Then I capture what I’m learning while it’s still fresh. After each session, I write down one thing I want to try straight away. I’ll often share a takeaway on LinkedIn and tag the speaker. It’s a lovely way to acknowledge them, share the goodness and stop my notes from becoming an unintelligible crime scene.

And finally, I treat the people part as the main event. The hallway chats are often where the real magic happens.

What’s your secret for making the most of a learning experience?

PS: Yes, I know I wrote a version of this last year. But if Apple can release a new phone every year, I’m allowed an annual update on conference survival.