It feels like it’s always conference season for student media.

You’ve been told countless times to “go to a conference” and that “networking is important.” But what does that actually mean? How do you turn a multi-day event into something valuable for your career and your organization?

Attending a conference is a big time and money investment. Without a clear plan, it’s easy to return with nothing more than free pens. 

This guide will walk you through how to prepare before you go, engage with purpose while you’re there, and follow through with action items that bring value back to your publication and peers.

Before you go

1. Set clear goals

Go beyond a vague goal of just “networking.” Instead, identify a problem your organization is facing or something specific that you want to learn. Make it your mission to find a solution. 

• Facing a budget cut? Plan to identify ideas for three new revenue sources you can bring back. 
• Looking for an internship? Plan to attend sessions about building your personal brand and get the names of available portfolio platforms.

2. Map out a schedule

You’d normally have access to a schedule ahead of time, whether that be on the conference’s website or on apps like Whova. Review it in advance. Pick out sessions that you must attend and sessions that you’d like to attend, and put those in your calendar (in-app or personal). 

Keep in mind that realistically, you won’t be able to attend ALL the sessions.

‍If you’re going with a group, try a divide-and-conquer strategy. Rather than sticking together for all sessions, assign different team members to attend different sessions and schedule a time to debrief later.

3. Pack the essentials

Bring something to take notes on — a notepad and a pen or your laptop. Bring your newspapers to share. Most conferences have a “swapsies” table for just this purpose. 

No, you don’t need to bring a business card — the majority of them get tossed within a week, anyway. Exchange emails, add each other on LinkedIn, or follow each other on Instagram instead

While you’re there

1. Look for ideas everywhere

Some of the best inspirations you can take away aren’t in a session, but on the tradeshow floor or the publication swap table. Pick up papers from other schools. Take photos of designs, special sections, or creative ad placements you admire.

2. Ask specific questions

During each session’s Q&A, frame your question with context to get a more useful answer. It shows the speaker you were engaged and allows them to provide more tailored, actionable advice instead of a broad response.

• Instead of: “How can we make more money?”
• Try: “Of the five core products of student media, which one is the easiest to launch with a small staff of less than 10 people?”

3. Take actionable notes

During a session, take notes of two things: key points and action items. If a speaker mentions that email newsletters are one of the fastest-growing products for college media, your action item might be “pitch a daily newsletter” or “research how to FOIA the school for an email list.” 

This turns your notepad from just a record of what was said into a to-do list. It’s easy to take notes at a conference and never look at them again.

4. Go beyond introductory questions when networking

When you meet students from other schools, ask targeted questions that can help your publication. Instead of just “Where are you from?” try asking, “How do you approach creating content for Instagram?” or “How did you go about requesting public reports at your school?”

Again, it’s easy to forget small talk. But these questions can make that more valuable. Remember that your peers at other schools are one of your best resources because they are facing the same challenges.

You can use the conference’s app to help with finding people for this purpose, too.

‍After you return

1. Hold a debrief meeting

Schedule a meeting with your team where everyone who attended shares their top takeaways with the entire staff. This ensures that investment benefits everyone, not just those who went on the trip. Make a slide presentation.

2. Follow up and prioritize

Send out those LinkedIn requests or follow-up emails within a week. Review your list of action items with your team and decide which are the most feasible to implement first. You can start small, but start somewhere. Turning just one good idea from a conference into a real change is a big win for your publication.

What's next?

‍The bottom line: A successful conference isn’t measured by how many sessions you attend but by the action you take afterward.

Come find Flytedesk at the next student media conference you attend. We've been told we have the best merch around.