BEFORE GETTING THERE
- Get excited.
- Look up where to go and most importantly, where to eat.
- Plan to meet up with local friends… not friends found on craigslist.
- Pack light ( TONS OF FREE T-SHIRTS )
- Bring a good light weight bag to carry around during the conference.
- Make some cool t-shirts; if they are conversation starters, even better.
- Tweet ! and I don’t mean making bird sounds with your mouth. Get in touch with people on twitter and #DrupalCon.
- Even though you may think business cards are extinct, I found that having them is always useful at DrupalCon.
- Get a haircut, this is something you should be doing regularly.
AFTER GETTING THERE
- Take a moment to breathe. Session after session gets overwhelming.
- Get to know people - go up to the booths and introduce yourself, grab a freebie and talk.
- Get involved in the social events - these are always fun. Plus you get free food and beer.
- Take notes but not too many. Sessions are recorded so there is more value in listening and watching than trying to write everything down.
- Find the cookies and brownies and grab them when you see them… They run out and people are vicious.
- If you like to eat as much as I do, you’ll bring comfortable pants. ( No shame on elastic waist pants, well, maybe a little shame )
- Don’t forget to explore the area. Post pictures on social media so friends and family become more and more jealous.
- Buy something unique! I got the chance to explore some vintage stores and ended up finding a beautiful original Disney story sketch from 1936. You probably won’t be that lucky but you may find something decent.
- Find events and concerts happening at the same time.
- Take a cheesy tour.
- FaceTime with your loved ones.
UPON RETURNING HOME
- Rest up. Jetlag can be brutal.
- Apply all the information you absorbed and make some awesome web stuff.
- Blog about your trip to keep the excitement going (or again, to make others jealous).
- Keep your chin up! There is always next year's DrupalCON to look forward to - NOLA 2016.
In conclusion, enjoy yourself and make sure DrupalCON is an experience you won’t forget.
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