Tips from IECA Colleagues for Maximizing Your IECA Conference Experience

April 28, 2011 | no comments

With IECA’s Philadelphia conference starting next week, we thought some tips from IECA members might be useful to help newer attendees maximize their time at the conference.

From Ginger Fay (D.C.):
After I had graduated from college and found my career (college admissions, of course!) but not yet the love of my life, my dad told me his patented advice on dating: “Go out with anyone who asks you… The waiter might be cute.” I took a similar approach to my first IECA conference in Miami five years ago. I went to every reception, dinner, and breakout session that seemed the slightest bit relevant to me and my work—as well as to a few where I was just tagging along with someone I had met in the hallway moments before. My openness paid off: at that conference, I learned so much about what I didn’t know (for example, therapeutic programs, and the wheres, and whys, and hows of them), and that was far more valuable than focusing my time and attention on the things I already knew and understood well.

P.S. Not long after my dad imparted his words of wisdom, I met a charming grad student on a set up—and found both the love of my life and that I should always listen to my father.

From Bar Clarke (Maine):
Just remember EVERYONE had a first conference, and we all were overwhelmed, scared and nervous… despite appearances, it isn’t thecase that everyone else knows everyone! Make it a point to introduce yourself to at least five new people a day. Also, this is all about relationships, so if you walk out of Philly with two or three new strong new leads/friends/contacts, you’ve done really well.

From Cyndy McDonald (California):
Be the first to put your hand out and say, “Hello, I am new.” You will easily meet lots of new people, and everyone you meet will want to help you find a session or answer a question.

General Conference Tips
• Room in one of the host hotels or a hotel that is within easy walking distance. This makes it easier to go to your room to unwind for a bit, and also makes it easier to connect with colleagues. Some members prefer to room with a colleague to keep the costs lower and to have a “conference buddy.”

• Meet some new people each day (look for gold or silver badges to locate IECA professional or associate members). Keep the number small so you will remember who they are. By the end of the conference you will have some friends to eat with and to turn to with questions. Some of your best learning might just occur during informal conversations.

• Attend the Outreach and hosted Receptions. It’s a great way to meet both seasoned professionals and new members.

• Arrange to dine with a colleague or two on the evenings when no events are planned. Room service can be lonely. When meals are planned, choose a spot to meet up with a colleague, or plow ahead and choose a table with some seated and some empty seats.

• Ask questions; there are no dumb questions. Your questions might show that you are new to the profession, but you will receive lots of helpful information.

• Bring something to take notes on.

• Don’t schedule too many sightseeing activities in the host city. There really isn’t much free time.

• Be sure to visit Conference Central, where you can meet with IECA staff (and learn about member services and social media) and vendors who offer services specially designed for independent educational consultants (IECs).

• The conference dress is business casual. Some members dress up a bit more for the evening dinner or receptions.

School/College Fair & Information Swap Tips

• IECs should have a couple of questions to ask—it never hurts to ask about new programs, initiatives, or recent trends. Ask what makes their school unique or special. Or ask what kind of student is most likely to find success there.

• Visit with reps from schools you have NOT heard of. You never know when someone will walk into your office needing what these schools provide, and it’s always exciting to learn about a new “hidden gem.”

• Bring self-stick labels or an ink stamp with your name and address preprinted to put on mailing lists. This is much easier than lugging the information packets home, and less costly than using your business card. If you do decide to use labels or a stamp, don’t forget to bring some business cards as well—you will need them.

• Consider bringing a camera. You can use the pictures you take as a reminder of the program you heard about or to post on your Facebook page or Web site. Start at the back of the room and work forward because most of the crowd begins in the front.

• Start with a short list (six to eight) of “must talk to” schools/colleges/programs culled from the list in the conference guide. Introduce yourself as a new IEC and then have a short list of key points you want to discuss or learn that you ask at each table. You can also ask them to come visit you when in your town/city. After you have gotten through the first few, you can then visit the next group on the list. Don’t take on too much in the first conference you attend, as it can be overwhelming. Having a clear plan of attack can make it become more manageable.

• For school & program consultants: go through the list of schools where you have students enrolled, check if they are at the conference and see them first to get an update about your client (something to report to parents about once you return home) or arrange to have breakfast with some before the Fair/Swap. Next go through the list to find schools you want to visit in the next six months. Finally, check the list of schools unknown to you. It can be done with flat shoes and a sense of humor.

• Bring more business cards than you think you will need.

• If you have a whole bag of questions for one school or if you want to discuss a particular student, stop at the table and ask the school rep if they have time later to have an in-depth conversation (during the coffee breaks, breakfast, lunch, etc.). This frees up the rep to speak with many IECs and not just a few, and it gives the you time to get the information you need without feeling rushed by others waiting for their turn with the rep.

• Arrive at the very beginning as normally this is the least congested time of the fair AND it will give you time to visit more tables. Take your meal or snack break in the middle, not at the start.

• If you can spare the time and there aren’t seven people behind you waiting to get a word in, tell the rep that you’re new and ask what they would like you to tell families about their school/college/program. Ask what kinds of relationships they’ve had with IECs and how you could form the best kind of relationship with them.

• Ask: “Who is absolutely tailor-made for your school/college—and the opposite: who might have trouble that common sense wouldn’t tell me? Often responses are both surprising and insightful. The key phrase is “that common sense wouldn’t tell me,” so that a college deep in the sticks shouldn’t respond, “Well, a kid looking for the bright lights of Broadway.”

• Don’t try to remember everything. That’s for your own research and your visits. Instead, try for generalizations, textures, things that seem to generally ring true, personal strategies that seemed to work or to find out what you wanted to know, and especially for meeting people.

• Wear shoes that are as comfortable as bare feet.

Have fun!