Why You Should Attend Conferences

Given that we are a conference on cognitive science our opinion might be biased, but we think that no matter what field you are in, it’s very important to attend professional conferences! Heck, you should be able to cover the price of admission with all of the money you will save by using this GreenGeeks coupon. But you really need to look at  attending professional conferences as an investment in your business and yourself. Here are just some of the reasons why you should  attend conferences. 

Networking

This is by far the main reason that you should attend conferences. Have you ever heard the expression “It’s not what you know but who you know”? Well, it’s true, and a great way to meet a lot of people in your industry very quickly is to attend a conference. You never know who you might meet that could end up being an excellent source of referrals, a customer, a mentor, a partner, a supplier, or who knows what else. Especially if you don’t tend to meet a lot of folks in your area that do what  you do or you work online, you need to make an extra effort to make contacts in your field. They can lead to collaborations, partnerships, and job opportunities. 

If you’re not typically good at introducing yourself to strangers, remember that everyone else at the conference is looking to make contacts and is in the same field so you have some common ground. It might feel scary the first time you walk up to a stranger and introduce yourself, but it gets easier the more that you do it, I promise!

Professional Development

Most conferences will offer presentations and workshops around enhancing a skill set or learning new ones entirely. If you are in an industry where the technology or science is progressing all the time, you need to actively be keeping on top of new developments. Or it might be important to stay on top of trends in the market. Workshops at conferences are also a great way to learn from folks who are at the top of your field that you might not otherwise have the opportunity to work with. 

Inspiration and Motivation

I think this is an often overlooked benefit of attending conferences, but it’s perhaps the most important one. Even if you are doing something that you love, when you do basically the same thing day in and day out you can get into a bit of a rut and start to lose some of your passion. Going to a conference, meeting new people, hearing from those that are at the top of your field, and perhaps traveling to a new city are all things that will shake up your daily routine and give you new insights and perspective. There is also something to be said about the energy of being with  a group of people who all want to nerd out over the same things that you do. If you’ve been feeling a little blah about your work lately, then a conference might be just what you need. 

Presentation Tips: Coupons and Outlining Are Essential

Hot Tip For Presentations: Give Out Coupon Codes!

This is a neat trick we learned. We were speaking at a technology conference and we decided to give everyone in the audience something that would help their business. But we didn’t have any budget for something expensive. What could we give to this group of 2,000 people that we could afford, but would give them something of value that could save them lots of money. Then we realized: you can use Coupon Puppy to save money.

Most of these people had websites, and these websites all have web hosting. Hosting tends to be one of the most expensive expenses for a website owner, so we realized that we could copy down some coupon codes from a site like this: (update: here’s a new site that we recommend:

print it off on little cards and give them to the audience. If they used the coupon, then they would save 40% off renewal costs of their hosting plans and domains. That’s a real benefit for all those attendees looking for some kind of business edge. And best of all? It cost us nothing! You can find coupon codes for pretty much any kind of merchant for your presentation by searching on CouponJournal.org.

Preparing a Presentation? Here’s Why You Need to Outline First 

If you aren’t a natural speaker, preparing a presentation can be stressful. While using PowerPoint as a brainstorming tool seems like a great way to outline, this can backfire. If you want your talk to be engaging and exciting, you need to outline your talk before you make your slides; here’s why. 

Outlining Improves Your Messaging 

If you develop slides before you know what you’re going to say, you’ll wind up with a vague message. Your talk might not convince the audience. To get the message right, take a step back and think about how the content you are creating relates to the overall branding.

Outlining Creates a Natural Flow

Your initial thoughts may not be very organized. As you create an outline from these scattered thoughts, you risk creating a talk that does not flow. In the worst case, this could create a talk that fails to convert audience members or impress a potential new client. When your business depends on making an effective presentation, you need to sit down and create that talk first. 

Outlining Helps You Create a Strong Presentation 

As you draft, you might grab image and video content and drag that onto the slides. Since you are still in the create mode and you are not clear on the message yet, you can end up creating slides that look messy or don’t really go with your talk. You’ll need to spend more time editing these down or you’ll end up with a cluttered, weak presentation. 

Outlining Shortens Your Time on Task

If you delve into using your professional PowerPoint design as a drafting tool, you will inevitably end up spending more time reworking the content to a polished draft. So, if you want to do the best job possible on your PowerPoint without spending a lot of time on it, outline your talk and then create slides from your template. 

Hopefully, these points have convinced you to take a step back next time you need to deliver a talk.

 

Dating at Conferences? Match.com Promo Codes Can Help.

Conference Dating is…a Bad Idea.

And yet all too common. Conferences involve banking, travel, hotel rooms, meeting new people with similar interests and a break from routine. If your single, it can be a great way to meet your soulmate. Unfortunately people, single and married, tend to use it as an excuse for one night stands. What about real connections?

match.com promo codesOnline Dating Web Sites

Most online dating sites feature a blog or article directory where they have professionally written articles offering dating advice ranging from what to wear on a date to how to handle a dating crisis.

If you are using the services of a high quality dating site, you will probably find that the dating advice is well organized, has been researched, and is practical for many situations. You can try them out with coupon code promotions to save on 6-month or yearlong memberships.

Finding Genuine Dating Advice Online

Thousands of singles involved in online dating have an occasional relationship issue that arises or they have a desire to enhance their relationships so they set out to find quality dating advice online.

There are numerous sites online offering dating advice and some are offering expert dating advice, some offer advice based on experience, and others offer their advice based solely on opinion.

To gauge accuracy of dating advice, you must first consider the source and weigh the credibility of the site or individual offering the dating advice and determine where it stacks up.

Dating Magazines

Online dating magazines frequently have a section where dating advice is offered. Many times they will include an interview with a psychologist or other expert specializing in relationships and this can be a good source for dating advice.

Popular print magazines also have columns where they present dating advice in the form of reviews, editorials, reader experiences, and articles authored by professional writers.

Therapists or Counselors

Many professional therapists and counselors who are experts in the filed of relationships have “online offices” where they offer dating advice and their services include, live chat, e-mail sessions, telephone therapy sessions, workshops, and video conferences.

These professionals offer sound dating advice as it relates to specific situations including domestic violence, substance abuse, sex addiction, relationship repair, unresolved personal issues, divorce recovery, grief, loss and more. Their dating advice is based partly on educational qualifications and partly on real life experience. This dating advice is likely to be very accurate and useful.

Dating Coaches (Yes, They’re a Thing!)

Many singles seeking dating advice will consult with a dating coach offering advice in all aspects of dating. The dating advice you receive from a well trained dating coach can help you discover the type of partner who would be the best match for you and they often offer dating advice that will enhance the quality of your dates and work through other aspects of dating that can be improved.

Most dating coaches offer their expert dating advice through phone consultations, e-mail and live chat coaching, and some meet with you face-to-face to assist you on a more personal level.

Services start with an evaluation of your photo and online dating profile and from there you are offered guidance and dating advice about how to make a great first impression, how to attract responses, and how to build a strong relationship.

There are many sources available for dating advice and most of it is backed by good intentions but you can also find second-rate, meaningless, and even destructive dating advice. Dating advice that goes against your moral values, is not based on truth, or tears down who you are as a person needs to be ignored.

Avoid any advice that makes you uncomfortable or causes those little red flags to go up. Listening to that inner voice in your head and following your instincts will help you evaluate dating advice.


Sometimes some peace and quiet is really the best thing after a busy day at a conference. If you need to chill out, I recommend grabbing a pair of active NC models headphones (NC = Noise Cancelling) and put on some of your favourite music or a podcast and spend some downtime in your room. Especially for introvert personality types, a conference can be really overwhelming and sometimes you just need a little time to recharge your batteries.