How to Get the Most From the ATA Convention

By Peter DeHaan

"How to be a successful attendee" may seem trivial and self-evident, but all too often people do it wrong.  How frequently do you hear someone say, "That was a waste of my time!" as he or she has attended a convention?  As an attendee, what are your goals and intentions?  Some people view conventions as a mini-vacation written off as business trip; I will leave that between you and the IRS.  The correct reason to attend a convention is to learn, in which case intentionality is required if results are to be realized.

Law of Reciprocity: Too many people have a self-centered, protective attitude about learning.  They want to receive information and insights, but are guarded, paranoid, or even disingenuous about sharing knowledge.  This is shortsighted; it is truly better to give than to receive.  In this regard, I've developed Peter's Law of Reciprocity to guide me when attending a trade show -- and for life in general; it states: "Everyone I meet knows something I don't, so politely and tactfully learn what it is.  Conversely, everyone I meet doesn't know everything I do, so be willing to graciously share what I can when I am asked."  Over the years, this principle has served me well.

Receiving Information: When soliciting information, exercise discretion in what you ask.  Certainly, some things are off-limits.  Personal information (compensation comes to mind), trade secrets, and strategic plans are prime examples.  Also, it is critical to be genuinely interested in what you ask.  Insincere and devious queries serve to quickly short-circuit the pure and uninhibited exchange of information.  Quite simply, if you don't care about the answer, don't ask the question. 

When asking others for their opinions and ideas, it is acceptable to make notes for later reference; don't rely on your memory.  Some people assume that note-taking is rude; this is not true.  Making notes affirms the speaker and their message, conveying that their ideas are noteworthy; respect is demonstrated by writing it down.

Sharing Information: When sharing information, be careful not to betray a confidence or divulge a secret.  It is critical to use discretion and common sense to protect and respect the privacy of others -- if you don't, people will soon stop talking to you.  It is also important to not offer unsolicited advice; the only outcomes are to be ignored or deemed arrogant.  Lastly, it is critical to not talk down to your inquirer; treat them as an equal and peer.

Intellectual Incest: It's human nature to focus our communications on those we know and trust.  There is nothing inherently wrong with this, except that after a time, ideas -- especially bad ideas -- get recycled.  If something is repeated often enough, it is believed and accepted, even if there is no basis or reason to do so.  This is intellectual incest, a provocative, yet apt description of what happens when information is continually circulated among a small group of closely connected people.

More valuable than talking with friends and acquaintances is interacting with those we don't know.  These are the people most likely to share something that is fresh, new, or innovative.  Most of my "aha!" moments have occurred when talking with someone I had just met.

If the intent is to learn and grow, then even more limiting than focusing our interactions on friends is to restrict our attention to those we are traveling with -- be it family or coworkers.  Although this is a natural tendency, it prevents us from being exposed to the new thoughts and diverging viewpoints of others.

Be Intentional: When I travel with others, I often set prearranged limits on how much time we spend together in order to make it easier to interact with others outside our group.  Yes, we plan some strategic times to reconvene, to share what we learned, and to relax in each other's company, but for the most part we intentionally split up, sitting with, eating with, and meeting with others in order to maximize our exposure to new people, ideas, and perspectives.  Also, since it is much easier to connect with someone by themselves versus when they are part of a group, this serves to make us more available and approachable.

Though it is often uncomfortable to talk to a stranger or ask them a question, those are the precise times when I am the most rewarded.  Similarly, it is when I desire to freely share information that I unexpectedly receive the most benefit.  Both instances lead to greater understanding and enhanced perspectives -- which is what conventions are all about.