ADVICE FOR A FIRST TIME PARTICIPANT

Welcome to your first PCMA annual meeting. You will find this is a great experience and like life, the more you put into it, the more you will get back! Everyone comes to learn, so share with your fellow attendees and they will open up and share with you. We are looking forward to welcoming you to San Diego to your first PCMA Convening Leaders!

Make sure to watch the Convening Leaders Orientation webinars on demand - there is one for planners, suppliers and students! Access them via pcma.org/pcma365

Also, please make sure to check out this page for packing advice, last minute tips, and more.  You should also follow #pcma12 and @pcmahq on twitter and facebook.com/pcmahq for all last minute updates.

The below list of advice was solicited from first-time participants at 2011 Convening Leaders on the PCMA LinkedIn discussion board. It has been reformatted to help all first-timers – we will keep it “living” so if you have something to add please send it directly to me!

You can call me or email me directly with any other questions or concerns about the meeting at cmelendes@pcma.org or 312.423.7251.

-Christine Melendes, Director, Member Relations

Pre-Conference

• Plan ahead and determine the educational sessions you’ll attend that will provide you with the best return on your investment of time and money. Before you get there create a plan designed to give you the tools and resources to make a difference in your business when you return to work. The before and after steps are most important and unfortunately often overlooked. You will be way ahead of the game if you load up on the sessions and plan strategically.
• If you're not already on Twitter, get on and follow the #pcma12 hashtag. You'll meet lots of influential folks and have a handy tool for seeing what's trending. 
• RSVP to the PCMA Convening Leaders event on LinkedIn and become a fan of PCMA on Facebook. That will allow you to have conversations like this one and connect with new people before you arrive. 
• EventConnect... Use it. Get involved with the community before the conference.
• Check the Weather Channel – and pack accordingly. Some events will be outside and you’ll want to be prepared.

Onsite

• Be sure to attend the Convening Leaders Orientation. We also recommend attending your Chapter Reception on Sunday.
• There is also speed networking in the Learning Lounge. Might want to give that a try!
• Welcome! Be open to meeting people – listen for comments made by those in sessions (speakers and audience members) and connect around those comments – ask questions. If anyone seems unfriendly, just move on!
• Be open to changing what sessions you attend based on who you meet. Though few learning facilitators (aka “speakers”) will say so, the “law of motion and responsibility” (formerly known as the “law of 2 feet”) should apply: if a session is not working for you, leave .. even if you are seated up front. It’s your right to learn where and what and how it works for you! Go to another session or meet up with others outside the session rooms who want to engage in other conversations.
• If you happen to miss a session because it conflicts with one you are attending you will be able to “attend” the session after the annual meeting by visiting PCMA365.
• Try to show up a bit early. Popular sessions like Speed Networking are going to fill up fast. Getting there early aids your networking and ensures that you’ll get your first choice. 
• When you see everyone hugging and greeting each other, and feel like everyone there knows each other but you…don’t worry. It’s the relationships that power PCMA. We were all once new, and someone got to know us after we introduced ourselves. Don’t be shy…we are all here to reacquaint, as well as meet new colleagues. Tell people you are new, and ask for help meeting people. They will help! 
• Go to sessions. Exchange cards with everyone you meet in each one. You all chose the same sessions so you have shared interests!
• Great icebreakers are asking others what sessions they will attend, or did attend that day. Find out why they chose it and what they got out of it.
• Enjoy yourself. 

 Post-Conference

• Send follow up hand written notes to everyone you meet. It's old fashioned, nobody gets many anymore, they'll be opened and remembered...and keep the relationship active through the year. 
• Continue networking and using the other tools PCMA has set up – they are great options for you to take advantage of.