Today, I’m attending the Cape Fear Crime Festival in Wilmington, NC.
This will be my second visit to this conference. I really enjoyed it the last time I attended—there was a nice camaraderie between the authors, I enjoyed the library location, Wilmington is pretty and walkable…and I’m not too far away to drive.
As soon as I find out the time for my panel, I make the hotel reservations. If I have, for instance, an 8 a.m. panel and I’ve got a drive that takes hours, then I’ll stay the night before the panel instead of the night following it. Or vice versa. Helps to save a little money.
If the hotel I’m staying at doesn’t have a free continental breakfast, I’ll usually take something that doesn’t have to be refrigerated that I can eat for breakfast. I’m a big believer in breakfast. :)
I do always try to have either lunch or supper or both with other authors…it’s really where I have the most fun and have more of an opportunity to visit.
I keep all my receipts in an envelope so I’ll be prepared at tax time.
If I’m traveling on the same day I’m attending the conference (like I am today), I wear something that won’t wrinkle too badly. I like jersey knits for that. I wore linen once…ha! :) I don’t know what possessed me.
As I mentioned in a previous post, it’s a good idea to come prepared with giveaways—bookmarks, business cards, small giveaways. I’ve seen authors bring personalized note pads, luggage tags, lip gloss, computer monitor cleaners….just all kinds of swag. I usually don’t go really over the top with stuff because it’s hard to tote around—and because it’s expensive. But at Malice Domestic, I did bring potholders with a BBQ theme that had my business card tied on to them.
I make sure to bring water (just in case the organizers don’t provide it.) I’ll bring a nice pen to sign books with, and I find out what the set-up is for book sales. Sometimes an independent bookstore will be in charge of book sales—and sometimes I’ll need to bring my own books and small denominations of cash to make change with.
I’ll prepare in advance if I know my panel questions ahead of time. I try to stay on track with the question and have succinct answers. I have a tendency, actually, to be too succinct, so I try to plan for elaboration of my answer, if I need to (if the moderator is glaring at me, for instance, because of my brevity. :) )
If it’s a conference where I’m staying for a couple of days, then I will need to plan some down time in my hotel room. Otherwise, I tend to get a teensy bit on edge if I spend a whole lot of room with other people—even very nice people. And, although I’m very introverted in nature…I try to be outgoing at these events. In fact, most people who have met me think I’m outgoing. :) I’m apparently a great actress. There are several folks that are going to Cape Fear that I’m really interested in meeting…so I really will be outgoing today.
Are you planning on hitting any conferences this year? Have any tips?
Sounds like a lot of fun! I haven’t been able to attend a conference yet – but one of these years! :)
Elizabeth – Oh, I hope you have a great time at the conference! Do be careful, though, as everyone’s saying. You seem so prepared!! I’d say my only addition is that I always try to have a place handy to note down EMail addresses or blog sites of people I meet. Not everyone carries a business card (although I really recommend them!), and it’s nice to just be able to whip out a pen and tiny notepad (I like the pocket kind) and note down contact info.
Bet it’s a soggy day in Wilmington right now!
I’m on the road a lot, so I bring many of the same items. And I never leave home without my Tom-Tom and a map, because sometimes one of them is wrong.
Think you got it covered. Safe travels – it’s ugly out there.
That’s a great idea to know your panel questions ahead of time and prepare your answers! I bet that makes things go a lot smoother. Have fun! Can’t wait to hear more about it!
Diane–That’s very good advice. I went by my Navigator, but I also had a printed out map. Luckily the Navigator was right, but it’s definitely been wrong before.
Alex–It’s a NASTY day!!! Foggy, buckets of rain, cold. I was lucky to get here in one piece, especially since I was driving when it was dark.
Heather–Most of the time the panel moderators are happy to let us know the questions in advance. It just makes our answers so much smoother and saves a lot of stress on both ends.
Jemi–I think you’ll have a great time when you go. :)
Margot–Good tip! I needed it today, too, because I got separated from my bookmarks and cards at one point, so had to write on someone else’s paper!
I’ll attend the Northern Colorado Writers Conference in Fort Collins in March and the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Conference in Denver in September.
My tips are to volunteer to work at registration, a panel moderator, or some other task so folks get to know you, and start a conversation with at least one new person in every workshop, panel, or event you attend.