Contemporary Sexuality - April 2009 - (Page 8) Making the most of an AASECT conference By Amy L. Gilliland, MS The conference starts for you the moment you decide to go. … It is a professional investment in your future so it’s worth spending time planning and preparing. A ASECT conferences are high-energy events with four to five hundred attendees. Eighteen hours of scheduled activities are happening simultaneously, so there are lots of possibilities. Here are some tips to help you make the most of your experience. Planning ahead First, the conference starts the moment you decide to go. Decide what your needs are in attending the conference. Is it to network with other professionals, explore one of the emphasized themes, or gain as many CE credits as possible? Next, think about what leads to a good conference experience for you. Is it to connect with other individuals? Do you mind eating meals by yourself? If you are going with a group, how much time do you want to spend with them or on your own? Will you feel better if you make time to work out every day? How much sleep do you need and how can you get that in a strange place? These questions may seem basic. However, planning for your own self-care is important. AASECT conferences have activities starting early in the morning and going until late at night. Starting with your own priorities and needs is a good baseline for making decisions on how to spend your time. Second, read through all of the presentation offerings, marking the ones that are of interest to you. Many speakers are leaders in their field and have websites with vitas posted online. You may be able to read articles they have written on the topic, which may help you decide whether to attend their presentation. Remember that it’s hard to describe a two-hour presentation in 100 words, so feel free to email a presenter if you have a question. The AASECT conference usually offers opportunities in the morning to explore areas of personal interest such as tantra or yoga. Often a different expert will lead each day, so check their website for more information. In addition, each of the three regional and special interest groups (Disability, Aging, and Alt Sex) will have a discussion scheduled. Third, think about whom you would like to meet at the conference. Is it people in your state, in a specific occupation or type of organization, working with a certain population, or exploring a particular interest? Perhaps you’d like advice on working with a mentor or supervisor, or want to try and find one. There are some strategies you can employ before leaving home that will maxi- mize your chances of successful connections at the conference. Consider joining the main AASECT email listserve and ask if they know anyone attending the conference who shares your particular interest. You may discover there is already an established group or it may inspire others to set up a meeting time around that particular interest. That is how many interest groups have formed through the years! Meeting people Ways to meet fellow AASECT members include asking on the listserve if you can arrange to share transportation to the hotel from the airport, attending a preconference workshop and going to the new members reception. Even if you aren’t a new member, go anyway. Start your conversation with, “How did you get involved with AASECT?” or “What do you feel is the most rewarding aspect of your work?” Another way to meet people is to volunteer. Being a room monitor might not seem glamorous, but it does help you to increase your familiarity with others and assist AASECT at the same time. In meeting people, remember the “rule of three.” Our brains are wired so that the third time someone sees you or interacts with you, you become familiar. This can be three times in one hour or three times in three weeks. Take advantage of that third time familiarity to get to know someone better. Also, wear your name tag and “first time” attendee badge. It may give you more confidence to ask for help if you need it. When I went to my first AASECT conference, I didn’t know anyone and didn’t do any of the pre-planning I’m recommending to you. I took a pre-conference workshop which helped me to meet people. What I dreaded most was eating dinner and lunch alone as it was a prime social time to connect with others. So when I would meet someone I liked, I just asked if we could meet for lunch or dinner the following day. Most of the time I ended up with groups of interesting people I never would have met otherwise. But I had to take the step of asking first and being willing to hear “no.” Not everyone has the same social needs that I do! For my second conference, I made a few dates ahead of time with people whose listserv responses entertained me or who were in the same profession. It’s easy to be intimidated by members of the board of directors, presenters or other senior people in the sexology field. However, most AASECTers are a rather friendly group. Many of www.aasect.org | April 2009 Vol. 43, No. 4 8 Contemporary Sexuality http://www.aasect.org
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