The ACR/ARP Annual Meeting team offers the following tips.
Before the Meeting
- Download the Annual Meeting App and plan your schedule in advance. Search and browse sessions. You can also create a customized itinerary.
- Make a checklist of all the sessions that you want to attend. Focus on specific benefits/value of attending these sessions and what you will bring back to your office as a return on investment.
- Prepare a plan that will show your supervisor and colleagues how you intend to share the knowledge and skills you will learn at the Annual Meeting.
- Make sure you register in advance for any Premeeting Courses and ticketed sessions such as Meet the Professor sessions and Workshops.
- Check out the Exhibitor List and make a list of companies that you want to speak with. The exhibitors are major supporters of the Annual Meeting, so take advantage of the opportunity to visit with them.
- Bring tons of business cards, because there’s nothing worse than when somebody says, “Give me your card,” and you can’t give them one.
- Plan to stay for the entire Annual Meeting because you never know what’s going to happen on the last day.
During the Meeting
- Visit the Registration area to pick up a printed copy of the Session Tracker to easily find your way around the convention center.
- Use the Annual Meeting App to search for sessions, posters, and maps to navigate the meeting.
- Attend the networking sessions and create personal connections for professional support. Practice simple one- or two-line phrases to introduce yourself to people, and if you see someone by themselves, go up and talk to them. More often than not, people are just afraid to talk to people and appreciate somebody making the first effort.
- Check out all of the new educational formats, including the all-new ACR Hub, where you can learn more about maximizing your ACR experience. The ACR Hub will be located in the Exhibit Hall.
- Wear comfortable shoes, because convention centers have concrete floors, and you’re walking all day — walking to and from sessions and to and from your hotel. This is not the week to break in a brand-new pair of shoes.
- Carry a bottle of water and have some snacks in your bag. Sometimes you need a little bit of energy, and a supply of nuts, fruits, and a bottle of water can keep you going.
- Excuse yourself if you find a session isn’t working for you so you can go to a different one. But be polite enough and leave discretely or during a question-and-answer break.
- Remove your name badge outside the convention center and when not attending meeting-related events.
- Use the buddy system when traveling during the evening. There’s safety in numbers. Also, look for well-lit streets and select routes that are the shortest between your destination and hotel or conference center.
- Don’t give money to panhandlers. Atlanta has special red-colored “giving meters” available to deposit change you might ordinarily give directly to a panhandler.
- Most importantly: Enjoy your time in Atlanta!