I’m kind of a conference junkie.
Given unlimited time (oh, and money), I’d be hopping planes
and checking into hotels all over the world. Why? I mean, I’m getting a bit
long in the tooth for all this time change/jet lag/bag hauling stuff, so why
even bother?
Read books on the same topics, you might counter. There’s a
ton of info on the Internet. Oh, yes.
Well, I do those things, too. Because like Kipling’s “The
Elephant’s Child”, I am full of “ ‘satiable curiosity” and Must. Keep.
Learning.
I’ve written before about my extensive library, but a
conference does more than provide information.
At my most recent conference this past weekend, I attended
sessions on topics I didn’t even know existed. How am I supposed to look that
up? The session on CPTED introduced me to a topic I was unaware existed. And it
gave me a subplot/career change for one of my characters that I wouldn’t have
known about.
I attended sessions describing panelists’ personal
experiences. How does one look those up on-line? These were people I could look
in the eye and know they were there.
One can write anything on-line. There is no vetting.
And the contacts one can make! At the Public Safety Writers
Association Conference, I sat with a wide-range of public safety workers
who generously answered questions and offered to be future contacts for more
questions. Contacts are one huge reason I attend as many conferences as I can.
So, look for me, at your next conference. I might be sitting
next to you. I’d be the one with a lot of questions about what you do.
