It's a Must...Attend an Industry Conference

A week ago, I returned from the ASTD International Conference and Exposition (ICE) in Denver, Colorado.  It was such a wonderful experience to be in the company of so many established and distinguished learning and development professionals!  It was an extremely positive experience. I would advise everyone to attend an industry conference at least once.  It doesn't matter if your profession is accounting, HR, engineering, or speech pathologist...attend at least once.  Trust me, you won't regret the experience.  Let me quickly explain the benefits when you attend.

• Professional development--you will learn so much!  You can find out about industry trends...create meaningful links between existing knowledge, skills, and experiences and new ones.
• Sharing best practices--you will be able to find innovative ways to enhance your current projects, process, and procedures by learning about what others have done and are doing.  You can also share what's worked for you and your organizations to help others.
• Expand your network--this is the best part of attending industry conferences.  You meet so many people who share common interests from all different parts of the country or even the world.  Just think, each time you meet someone new, you are expanding your network and potentially expand your ability to be more effective in your profession. 

These are all opportunities to GROW!

It's your job as a professional to take charge of your own development.  Eliminate those things that keep you from attending industry conferences.

Lack of Funding...no problem!  My organization didn't have training money for me to attend ICE.  I decided that I wasn't going to let that stop me, so I decided to volunteer to offset the cost of attending the conference.  I saved money to pay for my travel expenses.  Last year I missed out.  I wasn't able to go.  I was determined to find a way this year because I'm passionate about my professional development.  You can do the same thing.  Contact your industry conference point of contact to inquire about volunteer opportunities.

Attending industry conferences is one of the most effective ways to stay current and continue to add to your professional toolkit.