Spring is the biggest season for health/fitness conferences. Do you attend any? What is it that you’re hoping to achieve by attending? Do you get you’re money’s worth? My agenda with this post is to not only get you to attend conferences, but also to squeeze every bit of benefit you can out of the conference.

A personal note: I attended my first conference back in 1980. I was still in college and I presented at the state AAHPERD conference (topic? “Hands-On Weight Training” I think). I learned a lot from the presentations that I attended and from presenting myself. I have been attending and presenting at conferences ever since.

At least once a year I end up in Las Vegas. I’m not really a fan of Vegas, but it’s a very popular place to hold a conference. I think that’s because people “go to the conference” and skip sessions, meetings, etc. and sitesee, gamble, and go to shows. They may have a great time but they’re missing out on all of the important aspects of going to a conference.

At Conferences you can:

Get new information that can help you in your business. Whether it’s training information or business, information is power. Always come away with one thing (action item) you’re going implement right away.

Reaffirm information you already have (also very important).

Reconnect with industry friends. There are industry friends that I see every year that I look forward to socializing and discussing ideas with.

Introduce yourself to people that impress you. I’ve become friends with many people that I sought to meet because they either really knew their stuff or just seemed very interesting. These new connections can enrich your work and/or your life.

Introduce others when you think they’re a good match. Being a “connector” can be very satisfying.

Give back by getting involved in the organization. I’ve volunteered my time and services for many organizations. This can help you understand the runnings of the organization better, have a say in it’s direction, meet a lot of new people, and, dare I say, it can also be fun.

Meet Trade Show Vendors Find out about the latest equipment and getting to know the vendors can come in handy when it comes time to make a purchase.

Networking master Keith Ferrazzi, author of Never Eat Alone and Who’s Got Your Back has a great tips article called 15 Tips from Keith Ferrazzi: Conference Commando

How are you approaching you conference attendance? Are you getting the most out of the experience?

PS – I try to immediately “friend” and/or “follow” new people I meet at the event on Facebook and Twitter. It allows an easy way to follow up with them and stay in touch.

Please let me know if you have any tips or tricks for conference or clinic attendance.

“The more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know.” – Albert Einstein

I was thinking about this, one of my favorite quotes, as I drove to a fitness industry conference, listening to an audio book on innovative business ideas, to present a session on creating brain fitness programs. I love it. I can’t seems to feed my brain enough.

While I enjoy learning almost anything, I try to focus on things and areas that help me help others. This includes the newest health, fitness, conditioning information, the psychological aspects of changing behaviors, and how to build my business. The more I know, the more valuable I am to my clients, the more they will succeed, the more they will help me gain new clients, the more I can help more people, and the cycle goes on.

Your continued education is worth investing in. I typically spend thousands of dollars each year on clinics, conferences, books, etc. This is an investment in your self and your business that you can’t afford to not make. Even if you feel you don’t have the money to invest right now, go to the library and read, check out information on the internet (alltop.com is a great place to start), but feed your head and then put it into practice.

Learning new information should be a priority in your business and personal life. It’s how we move forward, how we evolve. What was the last thing you learned that helped you help others or that you just enjoyed? What’s the next thing you want to learn?