Conventional strategy: how to make the most of fitness conventions

American Fitness, Jan-Feb, 2004 by Amanda Vogel

If you're like most fitness professionals, you attend a convention or workshops at least once a year to stay on top of trends and earn continuing education credits. When you're not prepared, absorbing new material in countless workshops, mingling with hundreds or even thousands of fitness-industry peers and shopping at the convention's bustling trade show can leave you frazzled. Planning ahead will make the event go more smoothly and help you retain as much information as possible.

Before the event

When the brochure arrives in the mail. Registering for a convention immediately after receiving the brochure will ensure you get into the workshops that interest you most. Since some conventions offer hundreds of sessions over a few days, selecting the best ones for you can be overwhelming. Ann Greenwald, M.S., a group exercise instructor at the Carter Community Building Association in Lebanon, New Hampshire, suggests matching workshops to your career goals. "Circle the workshops or lectures that appeal to you most and prioritize them in order of importance," she says. "Try not to bunch a group of workouts or lectures together." Mixing your schedule keeps you from getting physically exhausted from too much exercise or restless from sitting too long in lectures.

If you're traveling to another city or state to attend an event, make arrangements early to ensure you get a comfortable, reasonably priced hotel room and the most convenient flight times, recommends Katie Bergerson, a group exercise and Bikram yoga instructor in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Make reservations at a hotel within walking distance from the convention center so you can easily return to your room for a quick shower or downtime between sessions. Find out if your room contains a mini-fridge to store milk or yogurt for early-morning meals. "The lines for breakfast [can be] long and if you have to wait [for some time] you'll be late for your first session," says Roche Rossouw, a veteran instructor and convention attendee from Powell River, British Columbia.

Preparing for the event. As you pack for the convention, include a water bottle, business cards, ball point and highlighter pens, note paper and several workout outfits. "The air conditioning in many of these facilities often causes a chill, especially after a hard workout," notes Greenwald. So, don't forget to pack a light jacket or sweatshirt and track pants. Also, pack plenty of energy-boosting snacks, such as fruit and energy bars. "Hotel food is usually expensive and healthy, low-Fat food is hard to come by," says Bergerson. Rossouw suggests printing labels with your name, address, phone number and e-mail address on them. "You need to fill in numerous cards for free products and drawings," she explains. "The labels save you time because you just stick them on [the draw cards]."

At the event

Arrive at workshops early so you can choose the best location in the room. "Stand relatively close to presenters," advises Greenwald. "You can see and hear much better and feel more involved."

During a workshop. Don't think attending a movement workshop means you're there for a high-intensity, nonstop workout or that you have to teach the presenter's patterns exactly as they are presented. If you think you'll have trouble recalling or teaching a complicated 32-count block, note your favorite moves and write them down as soon as possible.

In addition to reviewing the presenter's handout, write down exercises and choreography in your own words, including how the presenter broke down his or her patterns. Use a highlighter pen to emphasize the most salient points in a lecture or move you especially like. "I make brief notes and draw stick figures to show different exercise positions," offers Greenwald.

Between sessions. "Some delegates make their friends repeat the choreography directly after a workshop while they videotape them," says Rossouw. You can also use a tape recorder to reiterate important points from workshops and lectures in your own words. Since most conventions do not allow attendees to videotape or audiotape sessions, use these tools to record your voice or movements after a workshop.

Take breaks between sessions and change out of your sweaty workout gear as soon as possible so you're not stuck wearing damp clothing during lecture sessions. Use downtime to refuel with a healthy lunch or walk outside. In a large convention, it's not unusual to spend most of the day indoors. Since fresh air will help keep you energized, take an outdoor route to get from one session location to the next, if possible.

When shopping at tire trade show, go with a game plan. "I like to take a few laps around to see what is available," says Greenwald. "On the second or third time around, I stop at specific booths that spark my interest. I also find it easier to go alone and meet friends at a designated spot afterward. That way, I can go at my own pace and see and do things that interest me."

After the Event

The best way to retain new information from a convention is m use it. "Look over your notes when you return home," suggests Bergerson. "Write down things that stood out at each [session]." Tell other fitness professionals what you learned and/or prepare mini-workshops for the staff" at your facility. Write an article for your club newsletter or community newspaper about some of the convention's hottest topics. Even if you don't teach all the new choreography and exercises right away, practice them at home while the movements are still fresh in your mind.