Surviving and Thriving at Conferences
Life as an Instructional Designer: A 4-Part Series
Part 3: Surviving and Thriving at Conferences
By the time a conference really gets going, your day is already full. The schedules are packed, sessions move quickly, and the networking never really stops. It’s easy to feel overstimulated, no matter how social you are.
And then there’s the venue. Conference centers somehow manage to be loud, echoey, freezing, overheated, enormous, and oddly cramped all at once. You’re either walking 10 000 steps between sessions or sitting long enough to feel restless. Sometimes both in the same hour.
Whether it’s your first conference or you’re still figuring out how to manage the busyness, these are a few of my musts!
Planning
A little planning goes a long way. Before the conference starts, I map out my must-see sessions and jot down key details, usually on my phone or whatever note-taking app I’m favouring that year. In 2026, there are plenty of options.
I usually note:
- Session titles
- Room numbers
- Presenter names
- Big picture timing, including lunch, coffee breaks, and the general flow of the day
That said, this doesn’t have to be elaborate. I’ve relied on screenshots from the conference app more times than I can count. They’re fast, work offline and save me from fighting spotty Wi-Fi while walking sprinting between rooms.
Schedule Breaks
Conferences are energizing, but they’re also exhausting. One of the best things I’ve learned is to plan breaks instead of hoping I’ll “find time” for them.
If the conference offers a sensory or quiet room, I make a mental note of where it is early on. These spaces are invaluable for stepping away from the noise and resetting even if it’s just for a few minutes!
Pack Smart
I’m an overpacker by nature and hate being unprepared. I’ve narrowed my conference bag down to a few essentials that consistently earn their keep:
- Phone charger and battery pack (since outlets are never where you need them)
- Comfortable shoes (plus band-aids, just in case)
- An emergency granola bar that is forgotten until it’s absolutely necessary
- A lightweight reusable water bottle so your bag does not feel like a workout
- A pen and small notebook
None of this is exciting, but it’s the difference between feeling prepped for the days ahead.
Connecting and Networking
This isn’t really a step, but it’s worth naming. The people are often the most valuable part of a conference.
Most attendees are thoughtful, curious, and genuinely easy to talk to once you get past the initial small talk. And the best conversations rarely happen during sessions. They usually happen in airports, hotel lobbies, between sessions, or over a last-minute dinner nearby.
Final Thought
Conferences can be loud, busy, and tiring, but they also offer a lot in a short amount of time. A bit of planning, a few intentional breaks, and packing for comfort can make the experience far more manageable. And more often than not, the biggest takeaways come from the people you cross paths with along the way. See you at Fusion 2026!
So I’ll turn it over to you, what’s your best tip?
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