Going to An Event Apart? 5 Tips to Help You Get Ready

The latest iteration of An Event Apart is nearly upon us, to be held in Atlanta next month with subsequent sessions upcoming in Seattle, Boston, Austin and Washington, DC later in the year. Widely recognized as the most important conference of the year for web site designers and developers, An Event Apart offers a series of educational workshops and seminars aimed at helping you, quite simply, to become even better at everything that you do online.

With topics ranging from content creation to raw design and web standards, all with an innovative focus on the future, An Event Apart boasts the very best minds and voices in the industry with speakers and presenters who have been and continue to be behind some of the most popular spots on the interweb.

If you’re a web designer or developer and have the time and means to attend then your first decision has been made for you! Once your initial plans have been made, it’s time to focus on how exactly you can best prepare to get the most out of your An Event Apart experience. Check out the tips below to effectively utilize social media in helping you to create a personal itinerary:

1. Get to Know Your Fellow Attendees

There is one thing you can be sure of when considering the people you’ll meet and converse with at An Event Apart: they are all utilizing social media of some sort to stay in touch with clients and colleagues. Leading up to the conference, learn more about the speakers, guests and presenters by following their social feeds; you’re sure to meet many of the colleagues you’ll soon be rubbing shoulders with via the same method!

2. Stay Active on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+

An Event Apart attendees will seek each other out not generally by face, but by online reputation. Utilize your social media presence to let the world know that you are an innovative thinker with good ideas and give your colleagues a reason to seek you out! There is no better place in the world to network and build contacts with both potential clients and potential partners than An Event Apart; make the most of it!

3. Update Your Site

When duty calls and you’ve spent the last few weeks or months thinking and dreaming code and design, it can be easy to allow your personal site and portfolio to lapse. Take the time to update your “About” page and add fresh content to your site and blog in order to give those you’re connecting with a reason to stay and chat. Also, if you plan to leave An Event Apart with wads of your business cards having been handed out, the same folks that you impressed with your ideas at the conference can also be impressed by your personal home on the web.

4. Prepare Your Review

Attending An Event Apart gives you the immediate ability to act as a qualified reviewer after the fact, letting your clients, colleagues and visitors in on the intimate details of your experience and the new knowledge and strategies that you walked away with. While the review itself will obviously have to wait until after the conference is over, you can get started now by preparing your review template, planning the outline and letting your social followers know that your blog is the place to look for a thorough and enjoyable overview of the latest iteration of An Event Apart!

5. Enjoy the Preparation and Conference

Image Credit: Peter Hart.

An Event Apart is not only an intense educational experience for web professionals but also an event focused on the fun that springs naturally from bringing so many like-minded people together in one place. In preparing for the conference, be sure to enjoy every minute of online shoulder rubbing with the knowledge that you will walk away from An Event Apart having learned so much from your colleagues, all applicable to your profitability as a web designer or developer.

The more you take away from the event, the more you have to offer your clients once you’re back behind your desk!

Convinced? Here are traveling tips to get you started planning the trip:

• Flights: Here’s the official site of Atlanta International Airport for travel tips and flight information
• Living there: Bookmark Atlantahotels.org for lodging help.

Guest Author Jessy Troy is a social media enthusiast and tech blogger. She blogs in many places – follow her articles via her Twitter feed @jessytroy.