How To Thrive at Summit
Google “conference tips” and you’ll find a million and one articles, blog posts, and even videos with tips, tricks, and survival guides for professional conferences of all stripes. Some are new and some are old, but they all give the same advice, which we’ve broken down below with helpful suggestions to not only survive Summit, but to thrive during your time at Chicago’s Navy Pier.
Set yourself up for success by researching speakers.
Summit Suggestion: Use the schedule in the Summit App to favorite the sessions—or Slate at Sea Affinity Group cruises—you want to attend. Research speakers by searching for them and their institutions in the Slate Community forum to see what questions they ask and/or advice they give.
Wear comfortable shoes as you will be on your feet.
Summit Suggestion: You will definitely be on your feet a lot, and that doesn’t even factor in the networking reception, dance party, and Slate After Dark coding extravaganza at the end of the day on Thursday. Wear comfortable shoes—and if you wear high heels, consider bringing a pair of flats to change into for the evening.
Drink lots of water.
Summit Suggestion: Bring a water bottle or sealed refillable mug and use the water stations that you’ll find throughout the space.
Ask questions and talk to people; make connections.
Summit Suggestion: Sign up for a Slate at Sea Affinity Group cruise—or for more than one—for a dedicated opportunity for networking with people interested in the same areas as you.
Bring power banks for your phone as access to charging stations may be limited.
Summit Suggestion: Put down the devices and focus on paying attention to the ideas and innovation happening around you. The conversations that happen and the insights the presenters provide are one of the best resources for learning what Slate can do for you, and all presentation slide decks will be made available anyway after Summit.
Don’t skip the networking events.
Summit Suggestion: Why would you want to skip the dance party and Slate After Dark coding session anyway? Some of the best new features of the year will come out of that, and you could be there to witness it first hand!
In all seriousness, Slate After Dark is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to suggest new features and global updates and then work with our team of expert engineers to make your Slatest dreams come true.
