5 Reasons To Add Attending Conferences To Your Bucket List

One thing that we both enjoy is traveling for pleasure and for business.  We always try to take advantage of events and activities like conferences that will help us grow both personally and professionally.

This year we were very fortunate to have the previlledge of attending NMX (New Media Expo) and CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas.  In one of the keynotes we attended at NMX,  it was awesome to see the majority of the attendees were first timers and everyone was super charged up to be there.  If you have not attended a conference yet, we recommend that you do. Here are five reasons we hope will encourage you to get out there and attend your first conference.

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Learning is much more fun -  Some people will argue that they can learn by just reading books or articles on their own. No matter what industry or age group you belong to and no matter if you’re a professional or a student, learning is so much fun at conferences.  You’ll hear personal experiences and be able to ask questions of thought leaders on the spot. You will also get the inside scoop from industry experts.

Bond with old friends and make new ones - If you are active on social media and have made friends online, attending conferences is a great opportunity to meet a lot of them  in person.  We enjoy going to conferences because it allows us to bond with friends and meet new people.  With social media now available to everyone, it is so much easier to connect on a deeper level and communicate after the conference is over with people you will connect in person.

Build your network - This is a great opportunity to bond with existing and possible new clients and business partners.  In the age where more businesses are using video chats and teleconferences as everyday communication tools, conferences are a great way to extended that communication and just spend time with friends and colleagues in person and to learn and network with more people. You can talk business while having a cup of coffee or lunch. You can also chat over drinks and good food which great way to get to know people in a more relaxed and friendly environment.  Complete the circle from online to offline!

Experience a new city - Most conferences are held in big cities. Take time to experience what the city has to offer. Dine out, walk around and take in the sights. If you live in the city where the big conferences take place, use this opportunity to show off your city to your friends and to the people you meet at the conference. We were very fortunate to have had the chance to spend some time with friends who live in Las Vegas when we were there. Thank you @Imsimplydebbie, @Stevebrogan and @DianeBrogan for taking time to see us. We had a blast.

Party like a rockstar – One of the best parts of conferences are the nightly parties you can attend, mingle with old friends and new ones you made during the day. Enjoying delicious food , awesome drinks and fun music are fun ways to enhance those new relationships. Believe us the relationships and bonds you create are so much more meaningful once you have socialized with people and experienced something other than just the learning sessions.

There you go, our five reasons to add attending conferences to you bucket list. We hope this will encourage you to sign up to attend one, two and even more conferences in the near future.  Did we miss anything? We’d love to hear from you.

Thank you @Mayhemstudios and @AmyVernon for sharing photos.

About the authors:

Marty McPadden founder and CEO at PodJamTV Productions is a professional photographer, videographer, blogger, apple geek and a Production Supervisor at ESPN one of the largest sports network in the world. His vast knowledge in the above mentioned field will allow you our readers to tap into tools, apps, reviews and tips that he has learned and mastered over the years. How to’s and hacks that will allow you to have a richer online experience.

Misty Belardo-McPadden writer and producer at PodJamTV Productions is a blogger, designer and a self proclaimed Twitter-holic and an avid Facebook user. Enjoys travelling.  Her experience with writing, designing, SEO and brand and advertising strategy will give readers a point of view of what happens behind the scenes in the digital sphere.

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