Who recalls the childlike anticipation of elementary school “field trip day?” Whether the out-of-classroom experience was to the local fire station, a nature attraction, or an arts and cultural museum, the excitement of that day was palpable. Hopping on the yellow school bus meant a chance to see a new part of town, learn a hands-on approach as to how a product was made (with samples and take-home souvenirs!), and the opportunity to inspire new hobbies or future jobs. An extra bonus– becoming fast friends with your cool new seatmate.

Turns out there’s a grown-up version of “field trip day” (complete with swag) and it can bring the same exciting benefits, such as travel, education, inspiration and networking to those who participate. What is it? It’s the opportunity to leave the office to attend business & industry conferences.

After a two-plus year hiatus due to COVID-19, the business conference calendar is back in full swing, according to the 2023 Global Meetings and Events Forecast published by American Express Meetings & Events. A key finding of the report showed major virtual fatigue, with less than 30 percent of North American respondents saying they expected more online or hybrid meetings next year. Industry and corporate meeting planners are prepared not only to bring back in-person events, but to also go “off campus.” Forty percent of respondents said they were planning meetings that would be held in a different city than the corporate office, and more than a quarter included international air travel.

But larger, more distant business meetings also require more corporate financial resources and a deeper investment of employee time and band-with. So how can you, as an employee, get the most bang for your employer’s registration buck and experience a personal ROI as well?

Women In Print Alliance asked these questions of four industry professionals, who between them attended at least 15 business & industry conferences in the past two years. Below, in their own words, these women in print give us insight on how to make the most of the resurgence of out-of-town business events.

A special thanks to: Jennifer Ventola, Director of Production Services at Outfront Media; Kristen Dettoni, Founder/Designer, at Design Pool; Kristen Lewis Baxter, Divisional Merchandising Director for Office Depot‘s Print & Business Services Division; and Leslee Barker, Operations Manager at MillerZell, for sharing their insight with the women in print community!

What do you consider to be the top 3 benefit(s) or values derived from attending business & industry conferences? Are any of these benefits unique to or especially helpful to you as a professional woman?

Jennifer:

  • Networking
  • Exploring best practice with colleagues
  • Increasing your knowledge and education in your field.

These benefits are not unique to our industry, but necessary and helpful to everyone; however, as women in a predominately more male industry being present, engaging and increasing your knowledge base is essential for growth.

Kristen D.:

  • Networking: If the conferences are done well, an easy atmosphere is created so that people can network without it feeling like work.
  • Education: Conferences are a valuable way to learn about new opportunities and current business situations.
  • Inspiration: If you don’t do a lot of traveling, conferences can be a good excuse to get out of the office and engage with others. I always find that getting out of the office and exposing myself to new experiences and people boosts my creativity.

Kristen L.B.:

  • Dedicated mindshare provides an environment that helps you to think outside your normal conditions and can help bring some fantastic ideas to the forefront
  • Opportunity to interact with others in similar spaces that you may not have had the opportunity to speak with before
  • Networking and learning opportunities

Conferences and summits can provide benefits to all working professionals and present great opportunities to network and build confidence, especially if the attendee is the sole representative for their company. Being able to walk into a conference knowing that you have a seat at the table to participate and walk away from a meeting with the knowledge to pass along to your teams brings anyone a sense of pride and can help build their confidence.

Leslee:

  • Networking: Focus on building relationships within the industry
  • Education: Make note of new technologies, capabilities and offerings from vendors, partners and peers
  • Travel: Make a mental reset by visiting  different cities and getting out of your normal day-to-day business/comfort zone

Conferences/summits provide a platform to grow your professional circle and promote your accomplishments. This can be difficult for women in general, and especially for women in print who are seeking mentorship and opportunities for advancement. So, while I believe conferences are particularly important for women, my advice is really for anyone who wants to continue to grow and learn in the print industry.

How do you manage balancing the benefits of attending business & industry conferences with the extra workload it takes to “dig out” after being away from the office at these events? Are there any tips/tricks you’ve learned or would recommend to others? 

Jennifer: Managing the urgency of production is always tricky when you are attending a conference or summit.  I am fortunate to have a great team that supports me now, but I still schedule my day(s) & educational sessions with a 15-30 minute break  in between in order to check in & respond to emails or make any necessary calls.  I tend to work early before the general sessions start as well as end my night after dinners/events logging on to clean up anything pressing. Its seems like a lot, however its just a few days and is worth it professionally, plus it alleviates the dig out, keeps things progressing at work at Are there any tips/tricks you’ve learned or would recommend to others? Do one thing at a time, don’t get overwhelmed emotionally about the workload or you will be completely ineffective, take a minute breathe and move on.

Kristen D.: As a speaker I hope to make meaningful connections and be fully present while I’m there. To do this, I always make sure I prepare by doing a few things before I leave. First, I make sure people know I will be out of the office by using social media to alert Design Pool followers and sending emails to any clients with pressing work. Next, I create an email campaign that is ready to go after the conference.

I also keep my schedule clear one to two days after an event to allow for time to follow up with people I met, connect with them on social media, and clear out any emails that popped in while I was gone.

Kristen L.B.: Balance is always a tricky word in life, and to each person has its own meaning; for me, I dedicate some time throughout the summit to do a quick check-in with the team or scan my email box. I’m blessed to have a team that I trust and know can manage a lot while I’m out of the office, and they can always reach me if anything is urgent. Another thing for me is that I am an early riser, so spending some quiet time in the morning after a workout with a cup of coffee and going through yesterday’s emails helps.

Leslee: Each trip is different in regards to free time/catch up on emails while away as well as the length of a trip.  If you are allotted time during the trip, try to stay connected to your team through  emails.  If not, take the day you get back and work remote (if allowed within your organization) to catch up without the interruptions of the day-to-day in the office.

What advice would you give to women at more junior stages of their careers who may not be readily offered the opportunity to attend away-from-the-office business & industry conferences? Any tips on how they can self-advocate for inclusion in such events?

Jennifer: There are plenty of educational tools on line, google, you tube, Ted Talks, as well as industry magazines and blogs. The Printing United website is a good place to start until you have the opportunity to get to a summit/conference  and/or b) how to self-advocate by asking or justifying to their managers as to why they should be given the opportunity to attend these events? My advice would be that you don’t get what you don’t ask for in life. Even when you ask it sometimes doesn’t happen; but if you don’t ask the opportunity wont come, be prepared when you have the conversation and advocate for yourself; let you manager know you are interested in going to what conference and when and explain that you want to broaden your skillset and knowledge in your field, it show initiative which all managers want from their team.

Kristen D.: Business conditions always ebb and flow, and with them the travel opportunities. If travel is not possible, look into virtual events or webinars covering topics of interest. There is also so much to be learned by personal connections. Consider finding a mentor to work with to help guide you on your professional path or reach out to people for something as low commitment as a coffee date. I’ve found that most people are gracious and happy to help people just starting out in their career if you just ask.

Very early in my career, I wanted to attend a trade show in Chicago, but was told that funds were limited. I happened to have a friend in the area, so I offered to stay with them if the company paid for my airfare, which they agreed to. I found that by coming up with an alternative solution showed my enthusiasm and commitment. Many companies also have employees set annual development goals. I recommend including specific events as part of those goals, so your manager knows you’re serious about using these types of events to grow professionally.

Kristin L.B.: First, I’d recommend that women at more junior stages of their careers be proactive and honest with their managers and organizations about their desire to attend these types of conferences and summits. Don’t wait for them to bring the opportunity to you.

It’s important to showcase why attendance at a given show would be beneficial. There is typically a monetary cost and time cost for people to attend, so being able to research which summit is best suited for your role and what your goals are from attending are important to include in a request to management. And also, be sure the desired conference is well-suited for your industry and your organization’s strategic goals.

If you cannot travel for personal or business reasons, you could seek out virtual tours or introductions to participants attending a given conference from vendors. Another piece of advice is to follow the forum and see if there are any virtual presentations afterward or newsletters outlining some of the highlights from a given conference.

Leslee: My advice is that it never hurts to ask. I would start out with something local within the print industry and research organizations like Printing United, ISA, PIAG and other similar organizations.  Sign up for Women in Print Alliance, Girls Who Print and any printing subscriptions you can find.  Learn as much as you can and never stop trying to better yourself.  If you aren’t lucky enough to have a group of supportive women behind you (reminder: join Women in Print Alliance), then you must ask.

Make your request beneficial to your upper management and present all of  pertinent information: Who, What, When, Where & Why and the additional details like airfare, food, hotel accommodation, fees for the conference, & uber/rental car costs. Once those details are out of the way, you’ll be able to focus on the benefits to you and your company. Be prepared to discuss what you’ll learn and bring back to the team and most importantly, how your participation will reflect on the company.

If you’re a working parent (pets included!) or caregiver, what special considerations are there in deciding whether or not to attend an out of town work event? What value proposition do you seek to make it worth the “hassle” to leave home or caregiver responsibilities behind for a few days?

Jennifer: Obviously making sure you are covered at home is key in the ability to attend and actually be present without the worry or distraction of what’s happening at home, if that can’t happen its not worth it…regret and guilt are miserable and a waste of time. What is the value proposition you seek in order to make it worth the “hassle” to leave home or caregiver responsibilities behind for a few days. I am not the best at traveling and I am not a fan of flying so I pick and choose wisely. The value proposition comes into play in deciding the benefits you may get out of the conference; are you looking for a new piece of equipment or technology? What are the education sessions that are relevant to me? or Is there a potential client or colleague its necessary to connect with by attending?

Kristen L.B.: As a mom of three little kids in daycare, looking at the complete picture of the event’s time and what activities I could be missing out on at home play a key factor. I just had a moment of “parent guilt” as I realized I am flying out the morning my son starts VPK, but doing unique things with him to prepare for his first day has brought me joy this past week and helped ease some of my guilt. There are a few things that go into my consideration:

  1. Will this opportunity stretch my professional development goals
  2. Does this event support my organization’s strategic goals
  3. Does this event allow me to see and experience something new that will help me plan my business goals?

True confessions! Do you ALWAYS carry on your luggage when traveling to business & industry conferences? What is your #1 “working woman’s” packing tip? 

Jennifer: Yes, I always carry on; most conferences are a few days so it’s reasonable not to have to check a bag. My tips are to: roll clothes to avoid wrinkles and bring things that interchange so you have options without overpacking (a skirt and dress pants that will match a few tops). Don’t bring very high heals since you are walking around a lot of the time.

Kristen D.: Yes, I almost always carry on my luggage. I roll my cloths to fit as much in my carry-on as possible. Surprisingly, if done well, it also helps avoid wrinkles.

Kristen L.B.: I have always carried on my luggage for travel; I want to have control knowing that I will be there with all the items that I packed. Beyond packing cubes, another tip is to have one pair of “go-to” neutral shoes that you can wear throughout the conference that make you feel good. I worry more about wearing comfortable clothes for long days that make me feel confident than what’s on my feet, so with that one pair of shoes, it allows for extra room for clothing options! Plus, I like to make sure there is room for that extra solid-basic dress (because you can always dress it up or down) vs. an extra pair of shoes.

Leslee: It depends on how long the trip is and if I need to check a bag I will. My #1 packing tip is to take airplane/airport socks. We all know that women’s shoes don’t always require socks, so I bring a pair in my carry-on bag along with my makeup, medications, change of clothes/jacket, and my laptop – just in case.

Would you like to be featured in an upcoming Women in Print Alliance newsletter article? We’re always interested in hearing new voices in the women in print community. Please contact us to let us know if you would like to be interviewed.