Hello there,
A lot is happening in the world of SCTF and I’m glad you’re back to hear about it! Coming in October is a free community event we host called the Keeping Our Kids Safe Conference. It’s an educational gathering with speakers, break-out groups, food and more. This conference is one of the most significant ways we educate and connect our community in Clark County.
Never attended a professional conference before? You’re in luck because today I want to eliminate as many barriers as I can and let you know what to expect. I dream of every seat in the auditorium filled so please share this post with your friends, family and colleagues!
A lot is happening in the world of SCTF and I’m glad you’re back to hear about it! Coming in October is a free community event we host called the Keeping Our Kids Safe Conference. It’s an educational gathering with speakers, break-out groups, food and more. This conference is one of the most significant ways we educate and connect our community in Clark County.
Never attended a professional conference before? You’re in luck because today I want to eliminate as many barriers as I can and let you know what to expect. I dream of every seat in the auditorium filled so please share this post with your friends, family and colleagues!
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Most conferences have you register in advance. Registration can sound daunting but it’s important for event organizers. It allows us to know how much food to provide, we can make fancy name tags in advance and helps us to send reminders before the event as well as resources after. If registration happens before the event- you can simply walk in, sign in and sit down. Registration nearly eliminates standing in line before finding your seat. Our registration is super easy and you can find the link to an online form at the end of this article.
After registering you’ll arrive the morning of, sign in and collect an agenda or program outlining the speakers and timeline of events. The program will tell you about the facility, whom is sponsoring/hosting the event and other helpful information. If you are attending on behalf of an organization you may need to hold on to this to bring back to your company for reimbursement of any expenses you accrue.
When you walk in you’ll notice a few things: usually they are in large buildings with tall ceilings. There’s often a flurry of movement and energy. For all the introverts: be prepared to have limited quiet time and multiple personal bubble invasions.
People attending professional conferences often come from diverse walks of life. Some choose to dress in their most fancy attire while others wear something nice yet comfortable. Some people will be wearing lanyards or badges representing their community/organization and others prefer to remain anonymous. Generally speaking, most people look nice and appear energetic or approachable. Pro-tip: you will both stand and sit for long stretches of time. Wear shoes that aren’t painful!
Conferences may feel isolating. People with excellent networking skills are attracted to these events but they are not the only people attending. You may think, “Wow, everybody knows each other and I’m the outsider,” but that isn’t true. Successful conferences bring people together from all parts of the community and it’s a great chance to introduce yourself to people outside of your circle. Find commonalities and share resources. Pro-tip: if you are representing a business or organization I’d recommend bringing business/contact cards that you can give away. There will be many opportunities to do so.
While conferences are excellent networking opportunities, it’s also perfectly acceptable to attend without speaking to anyone at all. Lots of people go purely to absorb information and opt-out of the social aspects. I like to say, “You do you,” meaning do what you’re comfortable with. Take healthy risks in putting yourself out there but ultimately look after your personal wellbeing and goals.
After registering you’ll arrive the morning of, sign in and collect an agenda or program outlining the speakers and timeline of events. The program will tell you about the facility, whom is sponsoring/hosting the event and other helpful information. If you are attending on behalf of an organization you may need to hold on to this to bring back to your company for reimbursement of any expenses you accrue.
When you walk in you’ll notice a few things: usually they are in large buildings with tall ceilings. There’s often a flurry of movement and energy. For all the introverts: be prepared to have limited quiet time and multiple personal bubble invasions.
People attending professional conferences often come from diverse walks of life. Some choose to dress in their most fancy attire while others wear something nice yet comfortable. Some people will be wearing lanyards or badges representing their community/organization and others prefer to remain anonymous. Generally speaking, most people look nice and appear energetic or approachable. Pro-tip: you will both stand and sit for long stretches of time. Wear shoes that aren’t painful!
Conferences may feel isolating. People with excellent networking skills are attracted to these events but they are not the only people attending. You may think, “Wow, everybody knows each other and I’m the outsider,” but that isn’t true. Successful conferences bring people together from all parts of the community and it’s a great chance to introduce yourself to people outside of your circle. Find commonalities and share resources. Pro-tip: if you are representing a business or organization I’d recommend bringing business/contact cards that you can give away. There will be many opportunities to do so.
While conferences are excellent networking opportunities, it’s also perfectly acceptable to attend without speaking to anyone at all. Lots of people go purely to absorb information and opt-out of the social aspects. I like to say, “You do you,” meaning do what you’re comfortable with. Take healthy risks in putting yourself out there but ultimately look after your personal wellbeing and goals.
Browse the agenda after signing in and locating a seat. Note the timing of events, when you might want to step out and give yourself a quick break or use the restroom. Identify which presentations peak your interest the most and which ones you don’t mind missing. Pro-tip: always have a backup plan in case you get to the presentation of your choice and the room is full!
Conferences generally start with what’s called a keynote presentation. Keynotes are guest presenters of esteem or ranking in the larger community and are experts in the topic of the event. They give a longer motivational presentation to kick off the event and provide background on the overarching theme of the conference. Often times they also offer smaller presentations later on in breakout groups.
Breakout groups are common at conferences. After the keynote speaks and the host gives introductions, the entire audience will disperse in a giant mass of activity and head towards smaller, classroom sized rooms with guest presenters and workshops. At any given time during a conference, there could be multiple (3-6) workshops happening at once. Pro-tip: bring two notepads and three pens. You never want to run out of supplies in the middle of your favorite presentation!
Personal story: I recently attended a conference with multiple presentations happening at the same time. After my speaker began their presentation for our breakout group, the overhead intercom came on and the voice of the presenter from another room was accidentally broadcasting their entire speech to our group. My presenter had to talk OVER the intercom. I thus learned about cultural competency in prevention messaging + how to be an effective program manager at the same time. Needless to say it’s important you always have patience, give grace and expect the unexpected during huge events like this.
As you progress through the day it may be harder to remain energetic. These events are usually draining and presenters are aware of this. Having said that there is etiquette you should be aware of and follow as best you can in addition to the other pro-tips included in this post:
(Click the + buttons below to read more)
Conferences generally start with what’s called a keynote presentation. Keynotes are guest presenters of esteem or ranking in the larger community and are experts in the topic of the event. They give a longer motivational presentation to kick off the event and provide background on the overarching theme of the conference. Often times they also offer smaller presentations later on in breakout groups.
Breakout groups are common at conferences. After the keynote speaks and the host gives introductions, the entire audience will disperse in a giant mass of activity and head towards smaller, classroom sized rooms with guest presenters and workshops. At any given time during a conference, there could be multiple (3-6) workshops happening at once. Pro-tip: bring two notepads and three pens. You never want to run out of supplies in the middle of your favorite presentation!
Personal story: I recently attended a conference with multiple presentations happening at the same time. After my speaker began their presentation for our breakout group, the overhead intercom came on and the voice of the presenter from another room was accidentally broadcasting their entire speech to our group. My presenter had to talk OVER the intercom. I thus learned about cultural competency in prevention messaging + how to be an effective program manager at the same time. Needless to say it’s important you always have patience, give grace and expect the unexpected during huge events like this.
As you progress through the day it may be harder to remain energetic. These events are usually draining and presenters are aware of this. Having said that there is etiquette you should be aware of and follow as best you can in addition to the other pro-tips included in this post:
(Click the + buttons below to read more)
Tuck away & Silence Cell Phones
There have been lots of people at every conference I’ve attended who ignore this and scroll through Facebook in the middle of a workshop. Please lead by example. Browsing online is disrespectful to the presenter as well as to those around you. There will be plenty of breaks for you to use as you’d like.
Arrive on Time, Find a seat Quickly
Generally speaking once a session has started it is not appropriate to enter the room. Sometimes there’s a monitor and sign preventing the door from opening except to let participants out. This is because the rooms are small and it disrupts the presentations. If you are running late because the sandwich line or bathroom wait was longer than expected- that’s okay! Take the next 30-40 minutes and have a relaxing break to yourself. You’ve probably earned it.
Ask for the PowerPoint Slides
Many presenters will email electronic copies of their presentation materials after the event. Ask during the beginning before you start vigorously taking notes and save your hand from cramping! Not everyone will do this because of copyright concerns but making the request doesn’t hurt.
Bring Snacks
Although conferences often provide food, the lines are sometimes longer than the lunch period. Be prepared for having minimal time to grab additional snacks throughout the day by having a stash of your own. It’s commonly acceptable to eat during a presentation as long as you aren’t crunching loudly, dropping crumbs or handling loud wrappers. Be clean, eat quietly, but keep your body fueled.
Be respectful of Time
If you have a burning question that arises during a presentation- write it down and ask the question after the presentation is over. I’ve been a part of many audiences where one person uses the presenter’s expertise to troubleshoot their individual problems. It feels a bit uncomfortable for the other audience members. Presenters expect/hope to be approached afterwards with inquiries. Speaking afterwards allows everyone to maximize their time and as a bonus makes the presenter feel very validated that you enjoyed their work and want to learn more.
At the end of the day you can expect to feel sleepy, a lack of focus and you may think things like, “Wow! I don’t know how students survive!” You can also expect to be energized about your work or purpose in life, fueled with new ideas and ambitious project options and you can hope to find ways of incorporating what you learned into many areas of your life.
The Keeping Our Kids Safe Conference is Friday October 13th (professional development) from 9am-4pm in Foster Auditorium at Clark College and Saturday October 14th (parent and family workshops) from 10am-3pm in the same location. We will have many presenters focusing on things like:
I hope you can make it to the conference. Free lunch will be provided as well as many opportunities to connect with your fellow community members. Register on our website at www.safecommunitiestaskforce.org/keeping-our-kids-safe-conference.
Sending my best,
Christopher Belisle at SCTF
The Keeping Our Kids Safe Conference is Friday October 13th (professional development) from 9am-4pm in Foster Auditorium at Clark College and Saturday October 14th (parent and family workshops) from 10am-3pm in the same location. We will have many presenters focusing on things like:
- Building community
- Boosting resiliency
- Suppressing gangs and violence
- How to create a youth council
- Youth Panel with youth in our programs
- Working with gang affected youth
I hope you can make it to the conference. Free lunch will be provided as well as many opportunities to connect with your fellow community members. Register on our website at www.safecommunitiestaskforce.org/keeping-our-kids-safe-conference.
Sending my best,
Christopher Belisle at SCTF
