A Stress-Free Schedule

• Don't let work messages from back home get in the way of engaging with conference attendees in person. Turn your email notifications off and set aside some time each day, maybe in your hotel room right before dinner, to go through email and reply to urgent messages.
• Before your first meeting or session, take some time to stroll around the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and get a sense of where everything is to avoid getting lost (and being late). You can also take photos of the convention center map and exhibit hall layout with your smartphone for easy reference.
• WiFi can be iffy in crowded places, so write down important info (meeting times/locations, names, phone numbers, etc.) on a notepad or in a note in your smartphone before heading to the convention center. If your phone is losing battery while you're out and about, put it in airplane mode for a bit.

Working the Room

• Conferences are a great opportunity to network, and it's best to go into them with an agenda. Are you looking for a new job opportunity? Partners in a credit union collaboration project? Clients for a side business? Write down a few talking points about yourself and your goal, and fire away as you meet new people.
• While it's great to have an elevator pitch prepared, it can be awkward starting a conversation with someone new. Here are a few effective networking event icebreakers, according to HubSpot: “Are you having issues with the WiFi?” “That [food or beverage] looks great, where did you find it?” “Did you hear X speak?” “Have you been to X down the street? I've really wanted to check it out.” “Is this your first time here?” and “Did you understand what the speaker meant when she said X?”
• Sometimes, getting out of a conversation can be harder than getting into one. HubSpot suggests these graceful exit lines: “Did you see the restroom anywhere?” “I think I left my [laptop/bag/phone] in the other room. I better go grab it before it disappears.” “I need another drink, what about you?” “All right, I need to go check in with my team. It's been great chatting,” and “So, listen, it's been great catching up with you. Let's exchange cards?”
• To avoid losing contact information for people, take photos of their business cards with your smartphone as you receive them. And following up is a no-brainer, but make sure you do it at the right time. Emailing a new contact the day you return home or while you're still at GAC might come off as pushy; plus, your message may get lost in a pile of email. Wait until you've been back in the office a few days before making contact.

Got your own conference hacks or tips to share? Don't hesitate to send me an email or tell us about it in the comments. See you in D.C.!

Natasha Chilingerian is managing editor for CU Times. She can be reached at [email protected].