The year 2022, a beautiful year with a lot of opportunities,
for some the year is in full gear already, but for others, the year is having a
slow start. Whichever side you are on, you will definitely be attending more
than one event this year, actually, whoever you are, whatever field you are in,
there will definitely be seminars, pieces of training and events related to your field,
and this piece is aimed at helping you to maximize each and every event you
will attend,
Before we go one, please note that the points' effectiveness depends on you too.
Research.
So first on the list of things to do to get the best out of
any training, event, or seminar, is research. When I say research, I mean
research in every of its form.
Research on what kind of event you will be attending, ask
questions, search the internet, contact the organizers, basically know what you
are going for, the advantage of researching the event you are going for is
invaluable, you get to know what to expect from such event, you get to know how
to prepare for the event, you get to know who you would like to bring along
with you for the event.
Research on the topics to be discussed, it will make
understanding a little bit more interesting, also it will aid you in connecting
with the speakers, and this will be invaluable in making meaningful connections
after the event. While researching on the topics, questions will begin to form,
and this helps you to look forward to the seminar or event.
Research on the speakers, the more you know about the people
who will be teaching, the more connected you are with them when they finally
teach, the more you are able to tailor your questions for your desired response
too.
Listen, Jot.
A common error we make when we attend events is that we
think we are there to watch, not there to learn so we claim we listen and few
moments after such events, we are empty, not because we didn’t listen, but
because we are not wired to store all information gained right away like
computer, and that is where jotting comes in. Note important points, key
phrases, contacts, sites mentioned, questions from other members, note your
questions, note names, places etc, but be careful so as not to miss the
important information.
Conduct.
Now you might as what conduct has to do with attending and
getting the best out of an event, but the truth is that conduct could make or
mar the result of an event on a participant.
Your conduct is very important when it comes to an event. As
noted in the previous point, many people go with the intention to see what’s
going on at an event not particularly to learn at all, hence a nonchalant
approach.
Conduct before, conduct during.
Conduct before has to do basically with how you prepare,
your dressing, your attitude towards the seminar, event or training, your
mannerism, all this contribute in no small measure to how much you will gain
from any training.
Conduct during. Who says a smile doesn’t matter. How you
carry yourself during an event says a lot about the amount you will gain from
such an event, training or seminar. Laughing, jesting and disturbing during an
event will definitely not benefit you at the end of the day.
Participate.
Be active. Participate, note questions, and ask questions,
you do not know the advantage of this? Asides the answers given that could be
quite beneficial, you gain presence. The more important or pivotal the
question, the more presence, the more interest you attract. Never be scared of
asking questions.
Questions are not the only part of participation, some
seminars and trainings allow sessions for discussions, activities, leave your
comfort zone, take up tasks, and be noticeable.
Connect
Getting connected is the in thing now, need a job? Need
funds? Need ideas? There is virtually nothing in the real world you want to do
that doesn’t require, or that would not be aided by connections with the right
people.
My major Principle for connecting is. Be interested, be interesting.
After trainings events and programs, there is usually a time
to connect, connect with the invited guests and others around. Your success at
connecting with the invited speakers sometimes depends on how well you have followed
the previous.
Many a times the speaker would easily respond to someone who
has asked an intelligent question during the course of an event, than someone
who was dull throughout.
One thing to note is that sometimes you have to take a
chance, depending on how well you have researched, you can easily walk up to
any of the speakers after an event and get the engaged in a discussion, let the
discussion revolve round topics related to the speaker, it might not
necessarily be on what was spoken about during the seminar, be interested in
the person you are discussing with, the more you know, the more you come off as
interesting.
In conclusion of the whole matter, practice makes perfect,
the more you follow this tips, the easier it is for you from benefit from any
event, seminar or training.
Akintade J Victor.
