Biggest Mistakes Made By Conference Attendees
Everybody makes mistakes. Even the greatest minds and richest hands have had made a mistake in their journey. But the goal is to learn from those mistakes and especially not to repeat them. This being said, no matter how well planned an event or conference is, we still do make some mistakes while attending a conference. Here are the 6 biggest and most common mistakes made by conference attendees. Let’s take a look at them.
MISTAKES MADE BY CONFERENCE ATTENDEES
NOT BEING ATTENTIVE
It is very important to pay attention to the speakers when you attended a conference. This is not just to gain knowledge and keep notes of the important things being said but also to make sure that you do not repeat the same points while giving your presentation and save yourself from embarrassment. It is important to pay attention especially if it is an international conference as the language or accent of the speakers may be different and you might have some trouble understanding what they are saying.
KEEPING UP WITH UPDATES
The quite common and huge mistake made by people attending a conference is not keeping up with the updates related to the conference. It is to be kept in mind that there is always a possibility of changes in the schedule until the last minute. Maybe even your presentation can be rescheduled. Hence, it is crucial to keep checking and keeping up with the updates of the conference. This will also help you plan your day without much hustle.
SOCIALISING
Another biggest mistake made while attending a conference is keeping their socializing skills to sleep. It is very important and beneficial to socialize and mingle with the gathering. Many people just tend to attend a conference, make notes, give their presentations and head back home. By doing this you are depriving yourself of the opportunity to make new friends and connections which can come in handy for your future. International conferences are the best place to gain such connections.
PLANNING
It is not just about conferences. But planning plays crucial in every aspect of one’s career. Proper planning is necessary before attending a conference. Especially an international conference. The process of planning includes looking up the conference you are about to attend, the speakers, the venue, the schedule, the timings and knowing everything related to the conference. Most of the participants leave the conference dissatisfied because of their lack of proper planning.
BEING OBNOXIOUS
This is most likely to happen because of the participant’s nervousness. There is a possibility you might end up saying something you should not have said or maybe even mess up your presentation. To avoid doing this mistake and make the most out of the conference, you can practice your presentation quite a few times. But remember being obnoxious might not look like much of a mistake but it can have its consequences. Understandably, things can go wrong and ruin your day but it is important to keep your calm and not let your emotions reflect when you are at the conference.
ETIQUETTE
It is very important to follow basic etiquette when you are attending an international conference. Few countries might have a different approach to things than the rest of the world so it is important to know the formalities like greetings, dining and basic behavioral etiquette before you attend a conference. This might seem like a mistake that you might make but you never know what can happen.
For example, in countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and a few other countries it is offensive to point your index finger at someone or something. Similarly, the V sign made with two fingers might seem like it’s no big deal but it is considered offensive in the United Kingdom. Hence, it is better to look up if there is any particular etiquette followed by the country you are attending a conference in.
Now, with all the necessary preparation being made to make sure you have a peaceful experience with the conference you are attending, the conference next has an abundant number of blogs to help you with the same. It is also a leading site to provide you with information on conferences across the world and keep you posted with conference alerts up to the minute.
