You are specially invited to the First Time Attendees Gathering at 8:00-8:30 AM on Tuesday morning in the Washington Room.  Jill Norwood will welcome you and give you some tips so you'll feel comfortable even if you've come a long way and have not been to a conference like this before.  Also look for members of the Conference Planning Committee, who especially want to make sure that you have a great conference and that you have a good time.

This page is adapted from the New Members Round Table Conference Tips for ALA Annual using attendees' experiences. 

Before Conference

• Check preview pages on first page of conference wiki or (www.tribalconference.org) for information about pre-conference workshops, session schedule day by day and information about Portland and the host hotel.
• Ask friends and colleagues what they are involved in and what they enjoy. Try to attend programs, meetings or discussion groups with them during the conference.
• Plan for follow up. Many museums, libraries, archives or tribal councils will ask for or appreciate a report back on what the meeting experience was about, what sessions were attended.
• Pack comfortable shoes, light clothing that is comfortable but still professional. Pack snacks such as granola bars, fruit and small bottles of water. It’s possible to buy them in the hotel as well. There is a well stocked snack bar on the lobby of the hotel by the check in desk, or you can walk to Safeway or the convenience store across the street.
• Be sure to bring all your medication and tell a traveling companion or friend where your medication in case you should need help.
• Be sure to bring two forms of identification:  make a copy of each and keep them hidden in your suitcase or in your room in case you lose your wallet or ID.
• Portland will have mild, warm and possibly rainy weather so plan on wearing layers.

At Conference

• Don’t feel overwhelmed with the program guide at registration. When you have a free moment (hopefully your first night at the meeting), review the guide and revise your original schedule to fit the time and place of programs and meetings.
• Don’t schedule time too tightly. Allow enough time to go from one meeting to another. Schedule time for relaxing and sightseeing.
• Free movie night on Wednesday, October 21:  films highlighting Oregon Tribes will be shown from 7 to 9pm at the Red Lion On the River.
• Each day bring your revised schedule or tear out the program pages for that day as a reminder of meeting times and places.
• It's easier to remember all of the interesting ideas you hear and people you meet if you make a note soon after -- try taking five minutes to "brain dump" the highlights of a meeting into your notebook before you go on to something new.
• Don’t worry if you arrive a little late or if you need to leave early. Attendees regularly come and go from meetings and discussion groups.

Other Conference Tips

• Bring business cards with you. If you are a student you may want to have business cards printed. On-line printers, such as VistaPrint provide free business cards (O.K. not entirely free- you have to pay for shipping…or you can find other printers by typing  “free business cards” into Google). This is an excellent opportunity to network and you can distribute business cards to other professionals that you meet.
• Wear your badge to meetings and social events, but not outside of the conference hotel. This “brands” you as a visitor and a possible target, and also gives strangers your full name!
• Attend luncheons and receptions, talk to people in meetings, and on the shuttle to other events.
• Avoid listening to an MP3 player or reading books when you could be striking up a conversation with people around you.

After the conference

• Keep your connections, follow up with colleagues or presenters that you met. Getting to know new colleagues and peers is one of the most rewarding components of attendance.
• Apply your experiences. Even if you are not required to report on your time at the conference, you will retain more information and ideas better if you discuss them with co-workers. Share your notes or experiment with new ideas learned at the conference.