BEA live streams!
Conferences are a great way to meet new people, sneak in some travel, and expose yourself to all that is new and exciting in a particular field. I've found that the best take-aways for me from any conference are the connections I make with the other people there. I'm best at meeting people between sessions, expanding on what the sessions talked about, grabbing lunch or a drink to dig deeper, and following up after the conference. To me, physically traveling to and attending a conference is about being in the same building with thousands of other people who generally have the same interests and business objectives as me. We can teach each other, brainstorm, and hopefully make some connections that can blossom when we get back to our homebase work life.
How to utilize the BEA Live Streaming
Conferences can be expensive and take a lot of time out of my schedule. I can't go to nearly as many as I like. I'm thrilled that BEA is live streaming many of the conference speakers and sessions. From my apartment in San Francisco, I can get a taste of what is going on in New York as it happens.
Here is how I approach live streams to get the most benefit:
1. Schedule: BEA has a schedule of all the live streams. First thing I do is look at that and figure out which 2 or 3 I definitely want to see. Then I do some research around that person or topic so I know a little about what's going on. That way whatever they say is their take on something I know a bit about, rather than my introduction to that topic or person.
2. Twitter: I find the hashtag for that talk, topic, or event and tweet during the talk. Twitter blows up around conference hash tags, and it's one of the best ways to see who else is interested. I note the people who I think say smart things, follow them on Twitter, and maybe contact them with an @reply if there is a question or thought I can share. I've met several smart people this way and have ended up doing business with them.
3. Blog posts: If I'm not there, I can still blog about what's going on. Writing up a reaction to the speaker immediately following (or even during) a session and publishing and promoting it in the moment is a great way to be part of the event from afar.
Book Expo America (B.E.A.) is streaming many of the sessions for those of us who can't make it in person. Will you be checking them out?
Image source: Ryan Gessner via flickr