Tips for Attending Music Educator Conferences

As the Trade Show Director for Alfred Music and MakeMusic, I have probably been to hundreds of conferences and trade shows over the years. Not only are these events a great source for professional development, but they are fantastic opportunities to network with others who are just as passionate about music education as we are. As we head into another conference season, I thought I’d share some thoughts on how you can make the most of your conference experience.

1. Identify why you’re going - ahead of time.

The amount of information shared at a conference can be overwhelming. With literally hundreds of sessions to attend, exhibitors to visit, reading sessions to participate in, and networking events, where do you start? Whether it’s brushing up on skills you already have, finding a solution to a problem, or discovering a completely new way to do something, setting some outcome goals is really helpful. Keep it short—3-5 bullet points is perfect to start with.

2. Plan your schedule in advance.

Don’t wait until you arrive to figure your schedule out. Look at the program online, take your bulleted list of why you’re going, and use it to help plan out a schedule. I usually flag my “must attend” sessions, then go back in and add sessions that would be great to try to attend.

I always make sure to include some free time in my schedule. Having spare time to grab a cup of coffee, drop into a non-planned session, or wander the exhibit hall is really great to have, and is sometimes the most productive time I have at a conference.

3. Go to a session about something that you don’t love.

There is always a topic or two that we all try to avoid because deep down we’re terrified of the content, or it’s something our job requires of us that we may not want to do. It’s easy to fill your schedule with sessions and events that you love and enjoy and even easier to avoid the topics you don’t. Step out of your comfort zone and pick one session like this. Sometimes the sessions I try to avoid are the ones I need the most personally.

4. Collaborate with colleagues.

I talk to a lot of teachers at conferences who are traveling with colleagues and they stay together throughout the entire conference. Every session, clinic, and event on their itinerary is the same. But with hundreds of sessions to go to, the divide-and-conquer approach can be really effective. Go to some different sessions, take notes, and then share the information with your colleagues. This way you can be in two places at once.

5. Meet new people.

Meeting and connecting with new people is one of the best things about attending conferences. It’s also a big challenge for a lot of people, including me. There are hundreds, if not thousands of people walking around who I have a lot in common with and yet I struggle to talk to people I don’t know. So I set a goal of meeting at least 3 new people at every conference and force myself to just start talking to people. So far, I’ve met some really fantastic people and have continued those relationships on for several years. It’s still out of my comfort zone, but worth it.

6. Spend time in the exhibit hall.

As an exhibitor, I can tell you we love talking to teachers. Not just to show you our latest and greatest products, but because we honestly want to get to know you. What are your challenges, what works well for you, what do your students need, what do they like, etc. We genuinely want to provide materials that help you and your students be successful, and getting to know you helps us do that. So please, come get to know us, so we can get to know you!

7. Use your phone to your advantage.

I read a lot of trade show and conference tips and a lot of them include “get off your phone.” While I do understand the sentiment, I also think your phone can be one of your best tools at a conference. Here’s how I use mine:

• Use the conference app if there is one.
  • You can add your schedule; there’s also usually a map, show hours, list of sessions, and more. I actually keep my paper program guide in my room and for reference after the show, but when I’m walking around all day, having all of that info on my phone substantially lightens my load.
• Take session / clinic notes on my phone.
  • I know right where they are, I can reference them later, and I don’t have to worry about finding a pen in the bottom of my seemingly never-ending bag.
• Bookmark websites.
  • Often when I’m in a session / clinic the speaker will reference a website. Rather than try to write it down, I go to it, and bookmark it for later.
• Photos.
  • I take a ton of pictures. It’s probably best to ask if it’s okay to take pictures of certain things first, but I like photos of things I don’t want to forget, clinic handouts, people I meet, business cards, products I need to research or buy later, etc.
• Set reminder alarms for “not to miss” sessions and events.

8. Follow up after the show.

It’s really easy to get back from a conference and dive back into your normal day-to-day schedule. Which for most of us does not leave a ton of time to do anything extra. So make it a point to follow up on anything from the conference the week you get back. Send the thank you emails, follow up on the products you needed more information on, etc.

Lastly, if we’re exhibiting at your conference, please stop by the booth and say hi! We’d love to meet you and hear how your conference is going.