Image source: https://conferences.oreilly.com/oscon/oscon-tx
Over the past few years, I’ve attended a fair share of software development conferences, some even as a speaker. the night before every conference I find myself thinking what should I bring with me? In most cases, at some point during the conference I realize that I forgot something, regretting not planning ahead better.
And so I figured, why not make a checklist and publish it, in hopes others would find it beneficial. Stay tuned as I continue to update it as I come up with more valuable tips and suggestions in the future.
Plan Ahead!
Software development conferences offer many opportunities to advance your career: expand networking; discover new technologies, best practices and get inspired by other programmers; recruit developers or get hired; improve your speaking and social skills or enjoy some beneficial time-out from everyday work.
If you really wanna make the most out of your next summit, you must plan for whatever it is you wish to accomplish.
Important Tips
Schedule
- Print your schedule and highlight sessions you want to attend and the speakers you want to speak with. Don’t rely on technology or receiving printed schedules
- If there’s a talk you’re interested in that’s expected to be full or takes place at a remote lecture hall, consider attending the talk beforehand to save a seat
- You’re not married to your schedule - feel free to take longer breaks between sessions and utilize them for networking or anything else you find useful
Elevator pitch
- Prepare a quick five-second intro to describe yourself when you meet other people. Prepare another, more extended 30-second version, for people who want to know more
Find Your Next Job
- Know your GitHub, Twitter and Linkedin handles. IMHO they are the best software developer’s business cards/CVs
- Don’t necessarily bring printed copies of your resume, but make sure you have them ready to send via email
General Checklist
- Laptop and power cable, but only if you really think you’ll use it. Carrying a few extra kilos all day between packed rooms isn’t much fun. A tablet can be a decent replacement.
- Charger for your mobile phone, preferably one that connects to your laptop. A portable power bank is recommended if you have one
- Notebook with 2 pens. For some people, typing their notes can be distracting
- Space for “Conference Swag” in your backpack
- Mints or breath strips over gum, for those networking chats between talks
- A bottle opener might be useful for the happy hour sessions
- A printed copy of your slides with the speaker notes, so you can rehearse without having your laptop in front of you
- Giveaways and company/project SWAG — stickers, T-shirts, etc.
Speakers
If you’re ready to step up your game - become a speaker at a conference. The personal benefits of speaking at conferences are obvious, however, if done right, it can also provide immense value to the company you work for. For companies looking to establish themselves as industry leaders, encouraging employees to submit talks to conferences, is a great way to achieve that. For instance, the startup I work for, BigPanda, believes in true community contribution and fulfills that mission by sponsoring Open Source conferences, encouraging employees to submit talks, walking them through the process and even promoting their talks once accepted.
Got accepted ( \0/ )? make sure to bring:
- VGA cable adapter (especially if you’re using Mac)
- Wireless presenter/laser
- Portable USB with a copy of your slides, in addition to a cloud-backed copy (Google Drive or whatever you’re using)
- A printed copy of your slides with the speaker notes, so you can rehearse without having your laptop in front of you
- Giveaways and company/project SWAG — stickers, T-shirts, etc.
If you’ve enjoyed this post, I’d be very grateful if you share it. Feel free to comment and suggest tips and tricks from your experience.