Symposium spotlight: Last minute reminders

So, you’re heading to the ACDIS Symposium: Outpatient in Orlando and you’re pretty excited. Excited about the networking, ready to learn from folks who’ve “been there, done that,” who’ve “walked the walk,” who’ve “blazed the trail.”

Here are some tips to remember to make sure you get the most out of your endeavor.

1. Bring a sweater: Room temperatures fluctuate and shivering or sweating through an hour-long discussion is nothing but distracting.
2. Bring business cards: There will be 300 or so attendees. While you won’t need to bring 300 business cards, make sure you bring enough to exchange with the folks you meet and enjoy speaking with. They’ll be invaluable resources who you can you call on six months down the road.
   
   1. No cards? Make your own: If your facility doesn’t provide you with business cards consider taking a trip to your nearest office supply store and making your own. You could also make them at home on your own computer or printer.
   2. Carry a pen: When you accept another person’s business card, flip it over and jot down a little note or personal description of the individual—something like “cute hair,” or “works with observation cases”—so that when you return home and have a stack of cards, you’ll be able to discern who you wanted to reconnect with and why.
3. Sit up front and center: No one likes to be trapped in the middle of a long row of chairs unable to sneak out to the restroom if needed. But not everyone can have an aisle seat, either. As much as possible, try to sit up front, close to the speaker, and in the center of the room. This will help you concentrate on the discussion, leave room for other attendees, and maybe even earn you additional insight from the presenter (since you’ll be so close you’ll be able to make eye contact and give him or her an encouraging smile from time-to-time).
4. Use the microphones for questions: Skootching out to make your way to the mic might also seem like a hassle but just raising your hand and shouting out your question makes it difficult for everyone in the room to understand what’s going on in the discussion. Chances are if you have a question, someone else in the room has a similar concern so be considerate and share it at the microphone so everyone benefits. Additionally, be kind to those behind you in line and limit your questions to just your most important one. The speakers will be available after their session ends and likely throughout the conference so you can catch up with them later to address any additional concerns.
5. Enjoy yourself: ACDIS provides breakfast, lunch, and snacks. If you have a food allergy, please get in touch with our customer service department sooner rather than later. We can accommodate most needs, but only if you let us know ahead of time. Additionally, the hotel has a number of restaurants on site and is just a block or so away from Disney Springs, which has a wide variety of food choices and shopping and all manner of entertainment, so have a great time!