Charles Lee

I’m sitting at an airport on my way to Catalyst ’09, a leadership conference in Atlanta, to sit on a panel about compassionate service. Later this week, I’ll be back in town in Irvine, CA to help facilitate Unleashing Beauty, a global leadership conference.

I recently looked back on my travels to conferences this year and I have to say, I’ve been to A LOT! Most the conferences I go to are ones I speak at or facilitate. I’ve been to conferences of all shapes and sizes with all kinds of subject matter. I even went to a twitter conference this year. Oh yeah, I’ve hosted a few conferences myself called the Idea Camp.

So, am I conferenced out?

I’m not and here’s why…

Even though I hear constant complaints (often legitimate) from people who dislike conferences, I have to say that there is much more to benefit from actually participating. Now, given our economic climate and call to good stewardship, I would recommend that you carefully choose which conference to invest in (yes, I think it should be a conscious investment of resources). I try not to pick something because it is popular or trendy.

Here are some reasons why I attend conferences:

• Wisdom – I love the wisdom I gain from practitioners (and yes, not all are practitioners) when I attend conferences. I appreciate those who would take time to guide conversations or present content this is applicable to my setting. I also enjoy sitting next to and getting to know others in the trenches. I choose to be open to learning.
• Networking – I realize that workshops or talks will rarely change significant things in my life. Nevertheless, I do recognize that one great connection or networking opportunity with another person can lead to life change. Friendships and potential partnerships uncovered at conferences are priceless. I will always invest in networking. The great news is that you can network if you choose to see the opportunities…just don’t be a jerk about it (Not everyone wants to connect with you.) I choose to connect with people.
• Encouragement – I usually walk away from conferences encouraged. If anything, I’m always encouraged by people who come together in order to better themselves as human beings and/or refine their mission. I know that there probably are conferences that don’t do this that well. The good news is that we can choose to be encouraged if we want. Don’t blame a conference solely for the lack of benefit. Often, it’s more a matter of our hearts than the actual conference. I choose to be encouraged and be an encouragement to others.

Some Questions for You:

• Which conferences do you attend and why?
• What do you like about conferences?
• How can conferences improve in the years to come?
  

Look forward to hearing from you!

This post is tagged benefits of Conferences, Catalyst Conference, Charles Lee, Conferences, The Idea Camp, Unleashing Beauty