Morning all!
I’m not attending RIMS, but if you are, a few things to help you survive – and profit from – the week.
1. Realize you can’t be everywhere and do everything. Prioritize.
2. Leave time for last-minute meetings and the inevitable chance meetings with old friends and colleagues.
3. Unless you have a photographic memory, use your smartphone to take voice notes from each meeting – right after you’re done. Otherwise they’ll all run together and you’ll never remember what you committed to.
4. Introduce yourself to a dozen people you’ve never met. This business is all about relationships and networking, and no better place to do that than this conference.
5. Which leads to help someone out. Yes, you’re incredibly busy and have lots of priorities. Make it a point to listen to someone who looks lost or bewildered, say hello to a student there for the first time, shake hands with a guest from another country.
6. Wear comfortable shoes, get your exercise in, and be professional and polished. It’s a long 2, 3,or 4 days, and you’re always ‘on’.
Finally, I’ll echo Sandy Blunt’s advice – in these day of YouTube, phone cameras, Twitter, SnapGram and InstaChat, what you do is public knowledge. That slick dance move or intense conversation with a private equity exec just might re-appear in a tweet…
Joe,
Like you I’m not attending this year, but your advice is spot on. Boston was the site of my first RIMS and many things have changed. Most notably is the “always on” aspect of the conference. RIMS is more compressed now and planning and professionalism are critical to a successful conference. For those attending enjoy yourself, but remember why you’re there.