Things to Bring

Warning --- this is a my moment of insane organization and the need to be prepared for anything.

Labels with your contact information when make the many visits to the Exhibitor hall so much easier. It beats writing your name 100 times a day. One the label have the below information.

• Name
• Address
• Email Address

Business cards for the contacts you meet. The amount will vary but typically 100 will do you just fine unless you are super friendly. If you don’t have business cards, get friendly with your MS Word and Avery business cards. You can also get 250 free cards from http://www.vistaprint.com/ (Order ASAP).

Highlight marker – I typically bring 2 colors. One color for my first choice workshop and the second for my backup workshop.

A felt tip pen – they rarely run out of ink, you can take notes while moving, and take very little effort to write. If you forget a pen don't stress ..... this is a conference.... you can get your pen supply for the year.

A backpack or large canvas bag to toss over your shoulder to collect all the goodies that are given out. Now, if you have something on wheels, be friendly to others keep them close and out of the aisles. It is always best to remember that it should fit under a standard chair.

A small handbag just for the essentials (credit card- cash). The small bag is great because you are not lugging two large bags around that weight a ton. You are also less likely to loss or leave behind.

A camera is good item to bring but if your cell phone has this option one less thing to pack. Please remember if you are going to take pictures of presenter’s displays, ask for permission. Also make sure that you stay in the same area that the presenter is in. The change over of the rooms from presenter to presenter is a killer.

An expandable file. This is just anal me. When I get back to the hotel room I sort presentation hand outs with my notes, special offer flyers and so forth. A clipboard or a hard surface to lean on. You will not have a writing surface in most of the presentations and you may not be lucky to get a seat.

Clipboards are lightweight, easy to manage. I like the clipboard cases with folders. OK again – anal me. But this way all my handouts are inside the clipboard nice and neat less risk of me spilling or losing the item.

Post it notes or flags – helps you keep track of important information to share or look later with your co-workers. Ex. When a presenter shows a piece of software or suggest a booth to visit, flag it, this way it is easy to spot. Again anal me.

Again this is just me and avoiding over weight luggage – sometimes it is easier to UPS the catalogs and items you purchase than lug them back. I especially like mailing the software this way. It doesn’t get lost or broken in my luggage. I think the most I have spent is $25 to UPS materials home. Overweight luggage can cost you as little as $50 and up.

Bring a lanyard to stick your name badge on. Nothing is more annoying that losing your badge, ruining a piece of clothing or not knowing where to put the badge. CTG personnel check the name tag at the EXHIBITOR DOOR. No name tag, no entrance to the wonderland.

When traveling – make a copy of your credit cards back and front. This way if you misplace your credit card or it gets stolen, you can make a phone call to the company or companies.