Strategic Preparation

Master practical strategies and complete hands-on activities to arrive at your conference prepared for maximum impact.

Elevate Your Networking

Leverage the full spectrum of conference networking opportunities, including those that are often underutilized.

Self-Care for Success

Build self-care into your schedule to maintain peak performance and achieve your goals with greater ease and less stress.

About the Course

"Conference Optimization" is a self-paced workshop designed to transform your conference experience from overwhelming to optimized. It explores the diverse array of networking opportunities available at conferences and how to prepare for and harness them. You will learn to navigate the "special village" of a conference through detailed advance preparation and the strategic use of self-care, enabling peak performance so you can effectively accomplish your goals with less stress and greater enjoyment. The curriculum provides deep-dives into program research, proactive meeting scheduling, how to cross-pollinate your network and find volunteering opportunities, venue and neighborhood logistics, managing stressors by scheduling complimentary preparatory and recovery activities, leveraging the diverse array of conference networking opportunities (including those that frequently go overlooked), and the critical art of the follow up. The course features 1 hour of video instruction paired with hands-on activities (2-5 hours based on student preference), including program auditing, meeting outreach, comprehensive self-care design, and logistical planning. You will walk away with a fully populated, executable conference itinerary and a personalized action plan designed for maximum results.

Meet Your Instructor

Dr. Christina C. C. Willis is a laser scientist, writer, and public speaker, living and working in Boulder, CO. She has been delivering professional development workshops since 2018, is the author of "Sustainable Networking for Scientists and Engineers" (2019) and founded Virtuous Cycles LLC through which she provides professional development services. You can learn more about Dr. Willis and the Sustainable Networking approach, download a free copy of the book, and subscribe to the monthly Virtuous Cycles newsletter at Sustainablenetworking.net.

Course Curriculum

6 Chapters · 38 Lessons

  1. 1

    Introduction to Sustainable Networking

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      1. Workshop Overview

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      2. Philosophy of Sustainable Networking

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      3. Transactional Networking

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      4. Motivations for Networking

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      5. Networking is an Investment

  2. 2

    Why Conferences are Special

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      1. Conferences: All Things Networking

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      2. Conferences are a Special Village

  3. 3

    Before the Conference

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      1. Advance Preparation

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      2. Advance Preparation and Conference Size

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      3. Benefits of Advance Preparation

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      4. Making a Schedule: Reviewing the Conference Program

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      5. Activity #1: Review the Program

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      6. Making a Schedule: Pre-Arranged Meetings

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      7. Activity #2: Scheduling Meetings

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      8. Scheduling Self-Care and Why it’s Important

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      9. Conference Acts of Self-Care

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      10. Identifying Stresses

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      11. Suggested Self-Care Activities

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      12. Activity #3: Schedule Self-Care

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      13. Block Your Calendar After the Conference

    14. (Included in full purchase)

      14. Conference Preparation: Other Steps

    15. (Included in full purchase)

      15. Map Review: The Conference Venue

    16. (Included in full purchase)

      16. Map review: The Neighborhood

    17. (Included in full purchase)

      17. Activity #4A: Map the Venue

    18. (Included in full purchase)

      18. Activity #4B: Map the Neighborhood

    19. (Included in full purchase)

      19. Advance Preparation is Worth it

  4. 4

    During the Conference

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      1. At the Conference: It's Networking Time

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      2. Talking to Strangers: Additional Techniques

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      3. Networking at Presentations

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      4. Activity #5: One Sentence Self-Introduction

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      5. Networking at Poster Sessions

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      6. Networking at the Exhibition

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      7. Networking at Receptions, Coffee Breaks, and Award Ceremonies

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      8. Networking at Courses and Workshops

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      9. Accidental Meetings (Serendipity)

  5. 5

    After the Conference

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      1. The Follow-Up

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      2. How and When to Follow Up

  6. 6

    Workshop Conclusion

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      1. Recapitulation and Conclusion

Ready to transform your conference experience?

Enroll now to build a strategic conference plan, maximize networking opportunities, and prioritize self-care to reduce stress and be more effective at accomplishing your conference goals.

$85.00

Enroll Now