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Conference Attendee's Primer

The SLA Annual Conference is coming up very quickly. For those of you who will be attending your first conference, or even your first SLA conference, we'd like to offer suggestions on how to get the most out of your conference experience. From how to pack, to how to stay in touch with your office, to what to do and where to go once on site, we will try to show you how valuable going to a conference can be.

Packing

By Lori Hedstrom, West Group, Eagan, MN

 Attending a multi-day conference in a distant city requires forethought and advance planning.  It has elements of a business meeting, a vacation, and a social event, all of which dictate different styles of dress and accoutrements.  After attending my first couple of conferences and forgetting important items like dress shoes or eyeglasses (really!), I devised a short list to help avoid these problems in the future. Every person's list will be a little different, but here are a few items from my list with notes as to why they are there:

Business Travel Checklist

þ     Give your itinerary, phone numbers, flight information to a family member, work colleague, or friend: Always a good idea to let somebody know where you are supposed to be.

þ     Bring phone numbers for your remote offices, Help Desk, and staff members: When you suddenly have to remember numbers for people you usually see in person, a list is useful.

þ     Conference info - ground transportation, etc.: Airport signage is often vague - before you get there, know whether you are looking for a SuperShuttle, hotel transportation, taxi, etc. Know the specific name and address of the hotel in case they have more than one location in the city.

þ     Contact other attendees from your local area; chances are at least several people are on your same flight.  Plan to share a taxi when you get there … if you split the cost, it is the same or cheaper than a shuttle and much more convenient.

þ     Calendar - schedule: If you're using the electronic conference scheduler, print a copy so you know which sessions you want to see, and where your free time is. (Seriously, DO schedule in a nap if you have a very long day!)

þ     Stapler, highlighter, paper clips, post-it notes, binder clips: Bring a few office supplies with you in an envelope.

þ     Work outfit for each day including shoes & jewelry.

þ     Casual outfit for each day needed including shoes.

þ     Swimsuit: If the hotel has a pool or there is a Y nearby, swimming is a great stress reliever!

þ     Portfolio or legal pad

þ     Cash

þ     Jacket

þ     “Disposable” reading materials (newspapers, magazines) that you can throw away when finished so you don’t have to take them back home with you

þ     Book

þ     Business cards

þ     Postage stamps

þ     Band Aids and the most basic of medical supplies (usually very expensive in a hotel!)

þ     Medical authorizations needed for kids? I use a simple form that gives medical providers permission to treat our children in my absence if their dad can't be reached immediately. Include all health care providers' addresses and phone numbers and insurance information (with copy of card) for doctor, dentist, orthodontist, allergist, neighbor, etc.  Post a copy at home too for easy access in any emergency.

Bringing your technology with you

By Charlene Cunniffe, Bass Berry & Sims, Nashville, TN

Every year gets easier for the road warrior. Lighter laptops, better and faster hotel connections, and even better carrying cases make lugging the laptop to the annual conference easier. Of course, concurrently, the access at the conference and at the hotels is constantly improving, and it may not be worth carrying along the extra baggage if you are just looking to get your email. The Internet Cafe, hotel business rooms with always-on Internet connections and even the closest public library offer the chance to access browser-based connections far from the workplace and without the added weight to carry.

Well before you go, check with your IT department about your laptop configuration. If you have never traveled with a computer before, this is especially important. Take the time to write down, or get a copy of instructions for, the connecting to the Internet via dial-up or high-speed connections. My firm provides a series of dial-up numbers, but you should ask someone to help start the first dial-up connection if you have never used this capability. When I am on the road, I can choose to use one of several dial-up telephone numbers, or I can access the local dial-up or 800-number for my Internet Service Provider, through my telecommunications software. Some providers have long-distance charges, so ask your ISP before you go. If you have browser-based email available to you, or the full capability of your network through a browser connection, it is so much easier and faster to pay the hotel's fee and use the high speed connection. You can call ahead to find out if the hotel has ISDN or cable modems available. Call the hotel itself, not the chain's 800-number.

In any case, remember to bring a 25-foot long phone line, the power cord, an extra battery if you have one, and a security cable (I have forgotten every one of these at some point). We use DefCon motion detector type security, but a simple bike-type cable wrapped through hotel furniture will do. If your firm has not invested in the security locks, this is a good time to get to it. You can go to any computer store or a Radio Shack for almost all the accessories you will need, but it's much better to think ahead and get someone else to do the buying and installing for you.

Do you have the IDs and password for getting through your company firewall? Time to ask. Don't leave it on a sticky note on your computer, though, OK? Another question you can ask IT is whether they have installed software for tracking a computer if it's been stolen. You can have software installed that notifies its owner when being connected from another location after theft. If it's your personal computer, ask your insurance agent to be sure it is covered by your current policy.

You can leave your laptop in your room with little worry, as long as you secure the cable properly through a solid piece of furniture. Unfortunately, hotels have not been smart in designing the business desks, and there's rarely a slot to drop cables and power cords through and around, so you may have to be inventive. If you are feeling insecure about your ability to dial-up, take the computer home and check it out from there first. If you are using a loaner laptop you should definitely test-drive it to make sure it's ready to roll. There's nothing worse than lugging a computer from one coast to the other and then using it as a paperweight once you are at your destination.

Packing is important. Use a bag or backpack designed to hold your computer. Going through airport security these days is a royal pain, and you can make it easier on yourself by doing a few simple things:

þ     First, make sure you have some identifying information on your computer. If you have an inventory tag placed on the computer, add your name and phone number if possible (cell phone if you are carrying one also). Airports report lower rates of theft and higher rates of plain forgetfulness, as people rush though the lines to their gates and leave their laptops behind. If you have your business card taped to the top, you stand a chance of hearing your name paged by Security to come back around and pick up your "article" forgotten at the gate.

þ     Second, pack the computer by itself in one compartment of your backpack or briefcase, and don't pack anything around it. This will allow you to pull it cleanly out of its case for airport security stations, which require that the computer come out of the luggage. They may also check to make sure it is working, so keep it charged. Some airports provide little trays or plastic boxes on which you can place your computer to go through the machine. Take advantage of these. The trip through the x-ray machine can be a bit rough, especially as other baggage catapults your lonely little laptop off the assembly line. You will reduce the risk of damage this way. Once through security, putting a computer back into a case can be hard, especially if the airport doesn't have tables set up for this purpose. If you've got an easy slot for it to fit back into, minus cords and batteries, you will find this task easier.

þ     Just because thieves now have to have tickets to get through security, don't assume there is no laptop theft. Watch the person before you and don't put your valuables through until you have a clear walk through the gate. Have your metal items such as keys in your hand to put into the plastic baskets that go around the gate. (Remember to remove the little Swiss army knife off the keychain at home, and don't carry any forbidden articles such as metal nail files, fingernail scissors, etc., or life can become very complicated very quickly.) Watch your items into the machine and then step through. If security asks to inspect you further, ask if you can get at or keep an eye on your valuables at the same time.

Once at your hotel, remember to lock up your computer with your security cable before you head out to join your colleagues. Several librarians can be seen around the conference using their laptops to take notes. If you choose to have yours in tow, just remember how easy it is to put an ever-heavier weight down over the course of the day, so keep track of where it is at all times.

Whether you choose to bring a laptop or not, enjoy the conference!

Once you're there: or, how to make the most of your conference experience

By Karen Krupka, Wildman Harrold, Chicago, IL

I should preface this by saying that I actually start my own planning from the time registration begins, usually sometime in February. But since we're past that time now, I will start with the following: Go to the SLA web site now and look at all the conference programming, and if you have any questions about New York (or whatever the host city happens to be), sign up for the discussion list. Local chapter members will answer questions ranging from "How do I get to my hotel from the airport?" to "What are the good _____ (choose your cuisine) restaurants around the convention center/hotel?" In past years, groups of attendees who like to go for an early-morning walk have made these arrangements on the listserv also. It was on the listserv for the Seattle conference, and later on-site in Seattle, that I first met Dan Trefethen of Boeing. Dan wrote a terrific article, "The Savvy Conference-Goer does SLA", which appeared in the May 1999 Information Outlook. Many of the ideas that follow are borrowed from this article (with Dan's permission, of course). I will add any changes or additional suggestions in italics. You can find the whole article on the SLA web site at http://www.sla.org/pubs/serial/io/1999/may99/trefethe.sthml. Dan will be attending his twentieth consecutive SLA Annual Conference this year.

The conference schedule has recently been changed slightly, with conference sessions all designed to fit into three categories, one for each conference program day.  The time frames still pretty much follows the same format, however. It generally goes like this:

Saturday (and Sunday):

þ     Continuing Education Courses. These are all ticketed events at additional cost, and some sell out well before the conference begins. Some are full day, some half-day, but all are well thought out programs with excellent speakers. If one of them looks like something that would be valuable to you, go for it!

þ     Division Board Meetings. Many divisions have their first, usually of at least two and sometimes three, Executive Board meetings late Saturday afternoon (Legal Division's runs from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.). Division members are usually welcome to sit in on these, as well. It's a good chance to find out how the division-level Boards operate. These may be held in a meeting room, or in the Division's hospitality suite

þ     City tour. This year being done on double-decker buses, this is an all-purpose tour which, while not spending a lot of time in any one place, provides a great overview of the city's tourism highlights. If you are in town Saturday evening (as many are, due to the airfare structure), this is well worth the approximately $20 cost, especially if you have not been to the host city before.

Sunday:

þ     More CE courses.

þ     Networking events.  Including no-host dinners and open houses.  See descriptions of these under “Floating events”.

þ     SLA Awards Reception (formerly SLA Awards Premiere, Closing Gala and Awards Banquet). This event has changed names several times,  and has also changed nights this year, but the premise remains the same: acknowledging the efforts of SLA's officers and award winners. This event has been a banquet in past years, but the name indicates that the format may be different this year.  In past years, the level of dress was at least semi-formal (some even chose formal). It's another good opportunity for networking.

Monday: The conference gets into full swing. The three full days of conference programming are designed around “tracks” or themes.  Monday is “State of the Art Day”.  In recent years, more than one Keynote Speaker has been scheduled; this year, in a new development, there are three (one for each day/theme).

þ     Many divisions have some type of breakfast meeting and/or luncheon. Most years, the Legal Division Business Meeting/Luncheon is held on Monday; this year, the invitation-only BNA Legal Division Breakfast is also on Monday. Breakfasts and/or luncheons are usually ticketed events (with the exception of vendor events, for which invitations are customarily sent to Division members prior to the conference).  For the minimal ($10 or less) cost, these are excellent networking opportunities. Bring lots of business cards and talk to as many people as you can. They also provide another opportunity to meet your division officers and learn about the operation of your division.

þ     Exhibit hall. This year’s “Info Expo”, as it has recently been renamed, has a ribbon cutting ceremony early Monday morning  (before the keynote speaker), unfortunately conflicting with multiple breakfast meetings. In recent years, the Sunday exhibit hall hours of the past have been eliminated; in the opinion of some, making it more difficult to see the whole hall at once. This is not always a disadvantage, however. The exhibit hall can be overwhelming if taken in all at once; try to divide it up if you can. (Following a pattern can be essential; there is usually a map of the exhibits available which you can make notations on to indicate where you left off or exhibitors you need to go back to.) This year’s Info Expo hours: Monday, 8 AM-4 PM; Tuesday, 11 AM-6:30 PM; Wednesday, 8 AM-1 PM.

þ     Keynote Speaker. This is the first of the high-profile speakers for all conference attendees, most of whom usually come to this session. This year,  the speaker for “State of the Art Day” is Pulitzer Prize winning author David McCullough.

þ     Division-sponsored programs begin after the Keynote Speaker. See “general tips” for advice on attending these.

Tuesday: Tuesday has been designated “Future Directions” Day.

þ     As such, this was the perfect day to schedule the Legal Division’s popular “Emerging Technologies” Breakfast.  This is also a ticketed event, which almost always sells out.

þ     Keynote Speaker.  The speaker for “Future Directions Day” is Stewart Brand.

þ     Division-sponsored programs continue. These are not exclusive to members of the sponsoring divisions; this is where your conference program is essential in making decisions.

þ     Exhibit hall. Hours begin after the Keynote Speaker and have been extended this year until early evening.  Perhaps as a result of the additional Keynote Speakers, designated exhibits-only hours, formerly at mid-day on Tuesday, have been eliminated (or replaced?) by hours lasting until 6:30 PM.

v    PARTY ALERT!! As many of you know, this year we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Legal Division.  Tonight is the big event you’ve probably been hearing about, at Practising Law Institute’s Conference Center.  Don’t forget to put this on your calendar!

Wednesday: The last day of real conference programming, designated as “Globalization Day”.

þ     Many divisions have additional Board Meetings; this meeting is usually of the incoming (2003-04) board.

þ     The SLA Annual Business Meeting, combined with the final Keynote Speaker, The Honorable Madeleine Albright. The Business Meeting is worth attending, especially if there are important or controversial issues for the board to consider. This year brings your only opportunity to discuss “branding” issues and the potential name change for our association, an issue very important to membership.

þ     Your last opportunity to visit the exhibit hall.  These hours have been added in recent years, but last only until 1:00.

þ     The last of the division sponsored programs.

Wednesday evening, for the first time that I can remember, has been left without conference-wide programming this year and is being taken up by division social events such as open houses and no-host dinners.  Some people will undoubtedly leave today, but I recommend sticking around for:

Thursday:

Field trip!! With conference sessions over, if you have elected to stay in town, there are a variety of field trips available, most apparently sponsored by divisions this year. Just remember they can run late, so make sure to leave plenty of extra time to get to the airport if you are leaving on Thursday evening.

"Floating" events:

þ     Roundtables:  The Legal Division now has four roundtables:

1.     Corporate Librarians in Legal Settings

2.     County, Court and Province/State Libraries

3.     International

4.     Tax

All of these are meeting in some format in New York.  These meetings may be part of the regular programming schedule, a meal event, or just held in the Division suite.

þ     Division open houses. These may be quite late in the evening, but they are a great way to meet people. If you are uncomfortable going alone, go with a friend. Come on, admit it: You don't know everyone in the Legal Division (we have 1,200 members)! The odds of meeting people you don't know are quite good, and who knows when you might want to contact them as a resource for something from their state or their firm's specialty. Also, attending is a great way to thank the vendors who are, in most cases, sponsoring these suites. They are quite an undertaking and we owe the sponsors our gratitude for their generosity. Hours for this year: Saturday, 7-11:30, Sunday 1:30-4 and 6-11:30, Monday 6-11:45, and Wednesday 7-11.

þ     "No-host" dinners. These change time slots from year to year; this year the Legal Division's is on Saturday. Quite informal in nature; depending upon how many people sign up, there might be one restaurant or several.

þ     Vendor parties and events. You may receive invitations through the mail for some of these; for those you don't, if someone offers you an extra ticket, take it! If you receive an invitation to an event such as this, make sure to check if it requires an RSVP.

An important note regarding vendor events: In order to receive these invitations, you must have given SLA permission, when joining/renewing your membership, to provide your name to vendors.  Some members choose not to do this and do not receive invitations.  The choice is yours!

General tips:

þ     Use the scheduler on the SLA web site and plan for alternatives to all the sessions. There are multiple programs in each time slot, and with so many things going on, you don't want to waste time at a session that turns out not to be right for you. It's perfectly OK to leave.

þ     Take a good look at the conference planner for events requiring tickets and register for them in advance. Although tickets are available for some events at the registration desk, many events involving food will not accept registrations on site. If you realize when you arrive that you have forgotten something, see the next tip.

þ     Take advantage of the message center. Bulletin boards provide opportunities to sell, buy, or exchange event tickets, to arrange meetings with other attendees for dinner, or even just to say hello. In the last several years, the message center has gone online as well; when you register, you will be given a swipe card that you can use to access computerized messaging capabilities. You can find out where your friends are staying and leave messages for individual attendees. The card can also be used in the exhibit hall. Many vendors will have a swipe machine; if you wish to be put on the vendor's mailing list, you can do it this way.

þ     Go to the exhibit hall early and late in the conference. Many vendors will have giveaways and some will be quite popular and gone quickly. By the same token, during the last few hours, some vendors will sell the items they have on display at a discount. Also, register for any drawings the vendor has; some of the prizes can be quite valuable (i.e. Palm Pilots, etc.). Speaking of giveaways and purchases, this leads me to:

þ     The shipping center. You will decidedly not want to carry home all the literature you pick up during the course of the conference. There is a shipping center located right outside the exhibit hall. Pack it all up and ship it back to your office. Recently, in a new service, attendees could pack boxes and store them at the shipping center and keep adding to them, over several days if desired. There was a fee charged for the storage, but it was deducted from the shipping charges when you were ready to send your box.

þ     Field trips. Unless you absolutely, positively need to be back in your office on Thursday, I highly recommend a field trip. Most of these are planned by divisions; and have division-related destinations, but other are just for fun! By now, you will have had so much to absorb, that a day (or even a half-day) break may be just what the doctor ordered (the former HR director at my firm, now retired, used to call them "mental health days"). If you really need to fly out on Thursday, sign up for a half-day tour. Otherwise, make a mini-vacation out of it; I have known some attendees whose families have come to meet them for the weekend. I have been attending SLA conferences (although not annually) since 1985. Along the way, there have been cities which I wish I had stayed in a day longer, and at least one in which I was forced by weather to stay an extra night, resulting in extra time to see a few more things, which I loved.

Money matters: If you're in a budgetary crunch, there are many ways to save money, but not all of them are quite what they seem, among them:

þ     Staying at a less expensive hotel further away (if you need/want to go back to your hotel during the day, you're not only spending money on cabs, but also likely missing an event)

þ     Flying in on Sunday (most airfares are less if you fly on Saturday, you'll probably save more on the airfare than you would by eliminating the Saturday night at the hotel; also, Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon are great times to meet people via open-houses, etc.)

Among the things you should consider as money-saving ideas:

þ     If you're leaving town in the evening, pack and check out of your hotel in the morning. You can store your luggage at the hotel desk, or even with a friend who is staying another night.

þ     Keep your receipts. Some expenses that you may not be reimbursed for may be tax-deductible. Remember to ask for/get receipts for everything, including meals, cab fares, and airport transit. Keep an envelope or some other method of storing your receipts (I recommend writing on each receipt, what it was for and what day; for those of you with a Palm Pilot, the "Expense" program is very good for this.)

þ     Get a roommate. Do you know someone in your town who might also be looking to save some money? This is a big one; most double rooms are only $10 a night more than the single ones, and when you divide the cost in half, you could be paying $99 per night in the same hotel that a single is paying $189. You could also, as I have, find a roommate for years to come and develop a lasting friendship.

þ     Win something. There are stipends and scholarships available for the taking, on the Association level as well as through the Legal Division. It may not be a whole lot of money, but your management will likely be very impressed, and it will serve as a great conversation starter with other attendees. In some cases, you may even get a host/hostess to show you around.

And finally...

I will close by quoting Dan's sage advice "Finally, have fun! I encourage you to be selective with my ideas and be sure to pace yourself so you don't 'over-conference'...do things that get you away from the convention center: hook up with people for dinner...and take some time to see some local sights...Good luck in making your SLA conference a fun and worthwhile experience!"

See you in New York!

Special Libraries Association
Legal Division
c\o Judy Harris
Director of Library Services
Bryan Cave LLP
211 N. Broadway Ste 3300
St. Louis, MO 63102