Journalism 101: Covering a Conference (Abroad)

Some top tips - largely borne out of experience - for anyone attending a conference in an official journalistic capacity. Old hacks will know this already and some tips may be obvious.

1. Arrange your own travel and accommodation

Check and double-check your travel from beginning to end. If possible, make sure your accommodation rate includes breakfast. 

2. You don't need everything with you



Start off with the essentials. That's a passport, wallet, ticket, change of clothes, power cables (take power adaptors too), laptop, one camera (with its charger and USB/Firewire cables), a notebook and pen and your mobile phone. After that, you can only pack other stuff if your case is still within the total weight allowance. Be ruthless.
 

3. Mobile phones are a pain outside your country



Unlimited internet access on domestic mobile phone packages is great. It's a different matter abroad. Unless you've got a phone paid for by the company, you're likely to get stung by international roaming charges. 



So, check with the mobile phone operator and be absolutely sure you disable any push functionality on your mobile email. Switch off alerts from social networking applications and change your voicemail message. Otherwise your bill will be massive. 


4. Don't underestimate the time it takes to get to places



When you're in another country, factor in additional time to account for your unfamiliarity with the place. If people are unlikely to speak English or you can't speak the local language, you need to factor in considerably more time. 

5. If at all possible, avoid public transport or taxis



You'll need a printed map for this bit to work (don't rely on Google Maps abroad - it will cost a fortune). 

Wherever possible, make a point of walking to destinations. It's quicker, you'll feel more familiar with the place you're staying; you might even draw inspiration. 



At the very least, a brisk walk to the conference will kick-start your day with endorphins and go some way to maintaining your fitness. 
 

6. Eat often - drink water like it's about to run out 



It seems like an obvious thing to say, but it's easy to forget to eat when your normal working pattern is interrupted by travel, time zones, or if you're doing something entirely different from normal. Low blood-sugar levels will bring on a general air of depression. Everything will seem awful. You'll get stressed. Save yourself. 
 

7. Pace yourself 



Just because everyone seems to be talking to each other doesn't mean you should feel compelled to. Journalists are meant to observe. Standing at the side and observing is permissible. Consider it vital research.
 

8. You can't do everything 



There'll be bloggers and there'll be Tweeters. There'll be people with video cameras, people with big fat microphones and there'll be photographers too. Everyone will have their head down at their keyboard, listening, typing, Tweeting and such like. It's easy to get sucked in to the seductive atmosphere of a conference and assume you have to be doing stuff at the same pace as everyone else. Keep your cool. 
 

9. Collect now, collate later



:: Listen out to what's being said and make copious notes. Good speakers will have constructed their presentations into handy soundbites - excellent Tweet fodder - which makes note-taking a doddle. 



:: During presentations, have one browser window or tab dedicated to Google searches and another dedicated to Delicious (or have Delicious on a sidebar). Resize your Twitter client (if you're using one) to fit the remaining space.



:: If anyone mentions a website address, bookmark it in Delicious. It will act as the perfect aide memoire later on. Bookmarked URLs act as the perfect starting point for blog posts.



:: Search on Google for company names, related news about a subject being written about or Twitter IDs. Be sure to bookmark these as well. You'll thank yourself later on in the day. 



:: If there are tasty soundbites buzzing around, commit them to your notes first, then cut and paste them into the Twitter client, including the appropriate hashtag. This is as good as any networking you'll attempt in the bar. 



:: Think of your brain as a massive bucket. Collect stuff, whether it be photographs, audio, video or notes. Don't let up. Suck it all up and collate it later on when you've got time on your own. 



:: Most important of all, don't write any copy at the conference unless you're superhuman. Conference venue distractions make the process almost impossible and almost certainly counter-productive.



:: Finally, when you get back to base, give yourself half an hour to scribble down all the most memorable elements of the day. This is as good as any method of drawing out the key themes of a day and providing a starting point for any copy. 



:: Then, when you're ready to write, revisit your notes and bookmarks. Read over them. See what springs to mind. You'll have all your material at your fingertips. Writing it all up will be a doddle. 
 

10. Be careful when networking 



No-one likes a networking bore. Only give out your business card if someone asks for it. If you can't help yourself, count to five before you reach for your own. Handing them out during coffee breaks appears a little tacky. Make it your goal to acquire Twitter IDs instead. 



Avoid free beer. It's a PR tactic.



Don't bother going to a conference party unless you've got someone you can spend longer than ten minutes with without running out of conversation. You won't strike up a conversation with a stranger at a club and you're unlikely to get the fine details of a story when the music is blaring. Avoid them. Give yourself a break. Kick-back a bit instead. 
 

11. Take yourself out of the bubble for a while 



Conference venues are draining places. You might not think you've expended much energy but the general hubbub is not unlike the experience on public transport. So, take yourself off and get away from the venue itself. Just to get some distance. 
 

12. Start with a wrap up

Sometimes, getting a handle on what to write after a day or two spent taking information on board is a little difficult. 

So, best foot forward. Start with 800 words summing up the entire event. Link to as much stuff already written as you possibly can; include pictures and pepper with a little bit of fairy dust. 

Then, with the 800 words complete, either publish that or pick out a topic area which deserves more of a focus.