The 2010 National Association for Home Care & Hospice 29th Annual Meeting is less than two months away, and we hope to see all of you there. Home health conferences are excellent places to gain new information that you can use to improve processes, sharpen clinical skills and grow your business. To maximize the investment you are making by attending each conference (i.e., one or more days of your time, registration fees, plus travel and accommodations expenses), spend 15 minutes to create a plan for the conference before you arrive. Today, we provide a few tips you can use to make the most out of your home health conference experience.

1) Know what you want to get out of the conference and prepare for the show
It is your responsibility for getting value from the conference. What are two or three challenges you are dealing with at your agency today that you would like to get help with at the show? Are there speaker sessions to attend or companies that you could speak with about solving these issues? Identify what you need to gain by attending the show and plan your time accordingly.

Identify the sessions you plan to attend, which products or services you want to explore and find where they are located at the conference. Most conferences post a schedule on their website. In just a few minutes, you can easily visit the site to pick your sessions and companies to visit in the exhibit hall before you arrive at the show. If you prepare for the conference before you arrive, you will avoid scrambling around to figure out how to spend your time at the show.

2) Track important information to put into action when you get home
While handouts are good, taking notes will ensure you retain the most information and apply what you have learned in each session to your work when you get home. Do you own a laptop or iPad? Your computer can make a great companion for the conference. If you have typing skills, use your computer for a more efficient note taking experience. Do you own a Smartphone with audio recording capability? Use your phone to record key sessions so you can focus entirely on the presentation. If you take notes or record presentations, you will have more to share with your colleagues when you return to work.

3) Maximize the time you have with speakers during and after the session
Make sure to record important questions to ask the presenter during the Q&A portion of the session. If you have a question, ask the presenter. If the presenter runs out of time, or if you would rather ask a question in private, wait until the presentation is over and ask the presenter questions directly. Some people are uncomfortable asking questions in front of a group of people. I understand completely as I am one of those people. For me, the best way to interact is after the session. Try talking with the speaker after the presentation or walk with them between sessions. At least introduce yourself and tell the speaker what you plan to follow up with them about later. Do not forget to get each presenter's contact information. This builds a valuable list of contacts that you might want to follow-up with later.

4) Exchange ideas and participate in conversations
Conferences are the best places to exchange ideas and connect with other home health professionals. Use social/professional networking sites such as on Facebook.com or LinkedIn.com to see if people you know are attending the conference. Arrange to meet up with someone during the event so you can share experiences and swap lessons learned at the show. Do not be afraid to start conversations and interact with new people when you attend a home health conferences and workshops. What you learn may surprise you. Remember your goals for the conference. If you could have one hour of a consultant's time, what are the questions you would ask them? The same questions you may ask a consultant, you may ask a colleague. Think of the 2-3 questions you would like to ask other professionals and start a conversation at breakfast or lunch to get some answers. You will feel more comfortable engaging in conversations with small set of questions to ask colleagues and consultants throughout the day. Exchange contact information and connect with these people via email or social networking sites after the show. You never know when you may need to leverage your professional network either to find a new job or to consult with peers for solutions to work related problems.

5) Make time for the incubation process
What are the action items that you want to take back to your agency? Is there something you want to make sure you talk to someone about when you get back? At the end of each day of the conference, spend five minutes reviewing what you learned at the show. These five minutes are the most important part of the day. Do not wait to think about this later, as you may easily forget whom you talked to or what you hope to take away from key sessions. Personally, I experience this every time I attend a conference. If I spend a few minutes recapping the events of each day, I will return from the conference with more concrete action items. Remember, if you take away one action item out of a presentation, it was a productive session.

Which home health conferences or seminars have you attended this year? What did you learn? Please submit a comment below with your personal home health conference and workshop stories.