I'm still in the clouds after attending the Women's Conference 2010 a week ago, but it feels essential to cull some nuggets about making the most of attending a conference. Here are three things I did:
1. Have one or more goals in place before you attend a conference.
At the Women's Conference 2010, I wanted to meet a Caroline Bouvier Kennedy whom I admire for the courage of her convictions. I also wanted to enlist her assistance in getting the KleenSlate Paddle considered for New York Public Schools. Kennedy sits on the Board for the Funds for Public Schools in New York. I met Kennedy at the conference and gave her the KleenSlate Paddle. She autographed two of her books--one for me and one for my mother-- and I give her a copy of The Right Sisters. She was so genuine as she shook my hand, looked me in the eye, and said, "I look forward to reading your book!"
2. Do your homework
Because a number of celebrities were participating in the Women's Conference, including Oprah and Michelle Obama, hotels were sold out, but I was prepared having booked an awesome hotel months in advance. Security was unusually high because of the prestigious presenters, so programs were given out at the last minute. Despite 15,000 women in attendance, I managed to secure a program ahead of everyone and located a seat for the main event close to the stage. The KleenSlate Concepts booth was next to the book store--an ideal location. We had an amazing team managing the booth with 1500 paddles to give away. Most importantly PINK was part of the conference theme, so our Pink Paddles were a big hit!
3. Be Prepared for Unique Opportunities
Maria Shriver opened the Conference with a March on Alzheimer's to raise money to combat the disease. I had joined the Dano Sister Team months before the conference The sister team had inspired me after hearing about their father and this debilitating disease. Never having met them in person, I used my Pink Paddle to find them in the crowd of 1000 women. I wrote DANO Team on the Paddle and walked around until someone said, "Are you looking for us?" The DANO team was declared the #1 fundraisers. We raised four Pink Paddles and cheered as the announcement was made.
Because I carried Paddles and The Right Sisters with me everywhere I went, I managed to give them to Maria Shriver, Jane Fonda, and Sister Terry Dodge (one of the Minerva Winners). As I was leaving the exhibit hall, I heard someone call, "Gayle." When the women turned, I realized she was Gayle King--Oprah's best friend. I handed her a Paddle and asked her to get it to Oprah and let her know I would like to help her school in Africa. As she walked away, I watched her. She was surrounded by cameras snapping her photo. In her hand was the Pink Paddle. SWEET!
I'm grateful for the inspiration I gathered at theconference and totally satisfied that I did a good job of promoting my product in such an awesome setting.
