There are many things that can go wrong when attending a conference, however many of these can be avoided with a little preparation the night before you attend.
Printed Materials and Digital Backups
Print out any handouts, agenda’s or reports that you are due to distribute and copy them onto a USB stick as well. That way, if your laptop were to fail for whatever reason or if you are unable to open a particular file then you can switch to your other device or access from your cloud storage.
Name Badges and Delegate Lists
A printed delegate list along with a supply of prepared name badges will save a lot of time on the day. It is also a good idea to fill in the names on the badges before you leave for the event. Bring a few blank ones and a marker pen, just in case.
Presentation Equipment and Adaptors
Most conference rooms are supplied with a screen and projector but make sure you have an HDMI lead and/or a USB-C lead and test them before you set off. You never know what sort of leads are going to be in a room and if you’re running an off-site event such as a Cheltenham Hotel Conference Venue then it’s unlikely to be stocked with leads for your laptop.
Power Banks and Extension Leads
Power banks are really important for keeping your phones and tablets charged throughout the day. Also consider bringing a short extension lead with four or five sockets on it. The CIPD offers some really useful practical frameworks for running your own workplace events at cipd.org/uk.
Branded Materials or Collateral
Business cards, printed one page promotional items or branded notepads are also essential for networking during the event.
A useful reference for Cheltenham Hotel Conference Rooms is https://tewkesburypark.co.uk/hotel-conference-rooms.
Printed Schedule and Emergency Contacts
A printed copy of the event schedule should also be taken along with details of key people including the venue coordinator and any external speakers. Mobile signals can fail so it is best to have details printed out.
Most problems can be solved with a little preparation the night before. Pack your bag and you can focus on more important things the next day.
