By now you’re probably sick of
seeing all the Alt Summit recaps in your blog reader and wishing you had
attended, right? As a first-time Alt attendee, I will tell you it is the best
money you will ever spend on yourself and your blog. If you’re planning on
attending next year (I know I am!), here’s a few tips for you:
- Be Outgoing! Rarely in our adult lives do we get the chance to meet and make friends with others who share our same passions – Alt is your chance to meet 500 of them! Come out of your shell, put on a smile, and realize that everyone is as nervous as you are. Instead of spending all of your time with your besties, strike out and introduce yourself to those bloggers you’ve been wanting to meet.
- Amp up your business cards. Alt brings out the best in graphic design and your business card is the place to strut your stuff. I was given letterpressed cards, cards wrapped in vellum, cards with sweets and treats, cards made of wood – each one of them memorable, just as the giver intended.
- Stay At The Grand America. It may be a bit cheaper to stay at the hotel a few blocks away, but if you want to maximize your party time, drop off swag in your room between sessions (and there will be lots of swag!), or catch some quiet time away from the action, the host hotel is the best place to do it.
- Have a roommate. Being in a sea of people can be overwhelming sometimes and it can be tiring to constantly push yourself to converse and meet new people. Having a roommate takes a bit of the pressure off and you’ll have someone to decompress with at the end of the night as you talk yourselves to sleep about all the great things you’ve learned at Alt.
- Don’t Stress About The Wardrobe. Yes, Alt can make you feel like you’ve walked into the pages of The Sartorialist. There are the ladies with the perfectly coiffed hair, the most covetable shoes, and even the most stylish iPhone cases but really, all you need to look pretty is confidence and that cute smile of yours. Oh, and a bit sparkle helps too.
- Drink Lots Of Water. Not sure if it was the altitude or just the winter weather, but Lindsay and I woke up each morning with crackily noses, chapped lips, and dry throats. Not good, folks, not good.
- Register early! Buy your ticket for Alt and book your hotel early. There are only 500 spots available and they go fast. Sign up for the online classes, the opening night dinners, and the Saturday classes ASAP too, otherwise you’ll miss out on half the fun.
- Bring The Point & Shoot. Sure its fun to have the DSLR camera to capture all the pretty photos, but that thing gets heavy and it doesn’t exactly go with your party dress. With a P&S and your smartphone, you’ll have your bases covered. If you need more photos, take advantage of the Alt Summit flickr stream. See pics from 2012 here.
- Take The Time For “You”. You may be a mother, wife, employee, or entrepreneur back in the real world, but Alt is the time to leave all those demands behind, at least for a little while. For four days, the focus is on you. Absorb the information. Revel in the conversations. Indulge full tilt in the parties, fashion, and celebration. Take those motivations back home and you’ll find yourself invigorated to do and be more.
Still not convinced that Alt is where you want to be in
2013? Check out these fun recaps from this year’s conference and you just
might change your mind:
Old Sweet Song
If attending Alt in person isn't in the cards for you, you might still benefit from taking online classes offered by the new Alt Channel. Check out the details here.
***
If attending Alt in person isn't in the cards for you, you might still benefit from taking online classes offered by the new Alt Channel. Check out the details here.
1 comments