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Your next convention and conference.

Tami Lancut Leibovitz

Conventions and conferences are always a great idea for networking, learning and meeting with new colleagues. The options for conventions are endless – there’s local and international conferences and conventions all over the world, in any subject, industry or field you can imagine. I am writing you today from the AICI Global convention in Washington DC, it’s amazing to be here and share the world of etiquette with my colleagues as well as veteran and new friends. On my visit, I was reflecting on how the world of conventions and conferences have changed tremendously with the transformation of technology. The convention world has gone digital! There’s special applications for navigation and meetups, for the event details and schedule, and so much more – all to increase the social and comfort aspect of the event.

Through my visit, I was inspired to share my tips and thoughts on etiquette in conventions, enjoy and use wisely

For the ones attending:

• Make sure you are ready! Extra batteries, spare cables etc. You never know when you might need to present an idea or write down important material – don’t get caught looking for outlets, chasing cables or just looking clumsy and disorganized, it will tell a lot about the way you conduct business – are you always prepared or always scattered? Having extra cables or batteries also allows you to be in apposition when you help someone else that was not as prepared as you!
• Use your own streaming device if you need to upload or download a large file – don’t hog the public network! It’s usually not the quickest and the most stable, but it is always crowded!
• You need to dress a par when you attend a convention. Unless you are wearing gear promoting your own business in a classy and tasteful way, stick to a casual business dress code. Looking awesome in a convention will also boost your confidence and make you feel more comfortable to approach new people.
• Quiet cellphones are a must! Tablets and laptops as well. It’s also very important to never answer the phone in the middle of a lecture or a class, it’s intrusive to the attendees and the lecturer.
• Notice your space and use it for your advantage – if you see an empty chair, you might want to offer it to a late comer or someone you spot searching for a seat.
• Keep your business card handy and a short pitch just as handy, you never know when you will get a minute to present yourself and a second to leave your contact – always be alert. You are more than welcome to read my Business Card Etiquette article on my blog and enjoy tips for presenting and accepting business cards: http://bitly.com/BusinesscardTami
• Remember – you are networking, not selling! It’s important to talk to people in a genuine matter and not be on a “sale” mode. If you become too aggressive, people will read through you right away and take a step back.
• On the end of each day – follow up with every contact, business card or information you were given so you will look as serious and genuine you were when you first received the information and not miss any opportunities.

For the one speaking in a convention:

• Check yourself once and twice in the mirror before you get on stage. Make sure you look presentable, your clothes are clean and your face look radiant and welcoming. No one cares if you just landed or partied too hard – people pay a lot to attend conventions and no one feels comfortable facing a tired, scattered looking speaker. If you are having a difficult morning - Drinking plenty of water before you speak will help your voice sound better and your face to look less puffy and red.
• Feel free to attach your social media accounts (Linkedin, Twitter etc.) by tags or mentions on your presentation, if you have your own hashtag you use regularly, that is welcome as well. It will help attendees that enjoyed your info and to find you much easier online.
• Speak, explain, tell a story – don’t read from a slide – it will make you look unprofessional, boring and uninspiring. Be entertaining while you are being informative – that’s the key to a great lecture!
• Rehearse to make sure you keep up with the times, taking too long to finish or ending too early will make you look unfocused and a bit of an amateur. The general rule is 60 seconds per slide!
• If you need to finish and you have audience members that won’t stop asking questions, get off the stage after inviting the curious crowd members to join you outside, don’t take away from the next speaker time or the rest of the crowd that are not asking questions.

I sincerely believe those tips are a great guide to open convention season – please feel free to write me for any business etiquette question or any other etiquette question, on my site at http://bit.ly/AskTami,

Also, my blog also has plenty of articles on the subject of business etiquette, ones you might find helpful before and after a convention: http://bit.ly/TAMITLL