Conferences - To Go or Not To Go

I have mixed feelings about conferences.

For people new to the field I think they are wonderful - a chance to learn from the best local (national) experts, a chance to meet them and your colleagues to form personal connections and an opportunity to leave energized and expired.

For mid-level non-profit professionals it gets a little tricker. You have to be very selective. Many conference presenters are young people building their resumes and often in my experience their presentations are not worth your time. Much like picking courses in college - pick your workshops based on the presenter - the more experienced, accomplished and respected the better.

Experienced professionals start to get tapped to lead workshops. It's great to contribute to your field. It may help advance your career but you need to decide it the benefits are worth the investment your organization has to make to send you there.

My most hated, but definitely most memorable conference experience, was a full day youth leadership program in Boston that sounded great on paper but ended up proclaiming the benefits of the teenage vampire communities in Mexico. (Honest.) That would have gone over really well in Little Compton. What made it better/worse is that I attended with a wonderful friend who helped me spend the day eye-rolling instead of learning.

Read the workshop offerings carefully before you decide to go. Look up the presenters on the internet or call your friends in the field. Choose local conferences over distant ones whenever possible. Try going every other year to keep from getting burned out. Really weigh the organizational benefits of presenting. And make a pact with your friends not to eye-roll until the ride home.