Participating in a conference is an investment in your knowledge, especially your own network. So how does one ensure the increase in the return-on-investment of your participation in any conference of your choosing?
No worries! We have the five effective notetaking tips you can use in your future events!
Tip 1: Preparation is key!
As you get every detail in advance, use those hours to research the topics of interest, the speaker and the agenda.
While researching, start taking notes already so that you‘ll have them available during the conference. We also recommend preparing an introduction summary for these sessions.
Make sure to write down any questions to ask the speakers after their talks during the research. There might be talks you definitely don’t want to miss and some that you won’t care about. Before you arrive at the venue, having a plan in mind is the first step for a successful event.
Tip 2: Master the follow-up skillsets
We highly recommend following a method for effective conference note-taking. Your notes will be more organized, which allows you to review them easily. The best note-taking method for conferences is the Cornell note-taking system.
The main ideas of sessions can be noted in the main section of the page, whereas small comments or reminders can be added to the side.
If you want to take Cornell notes during a conference, remember to prepare enough pages. If you decide to go digital, you can use your note-taking app’s built-in Cornell note-taking template or import a custom one. The choice is up to you!
Tip 3: Go digital!
There are many obvious reasons for taking digital notes for conferences – notes are better organized, backed up, and shared easily.
- Add photos to your notes.
Talks can be intense and packed with important information. Of course, you want to make sure to take away as much content as possible without risking the opportunity to listen to what is actually being said.
Many speakers will support their talks with fancy PowerPoint presentations. So use your fancy smartphones and put them to the test!
- Combine handwriting and typed text
Taking notes will help you remember and digest information easily, so we recommend mainly taking handwritten notes during conferences.
However, sometimes you may want to type a few words – so using your digital note-taking apps will usually let you do both and are therefore much more versatile than any paper notebook could ever be.
Tip 4: Ask questions, don’t be afraid!
Remember you have noted some questions while researching before attending the event? Ask them now. Just jotting down the notes is not enough. To make the best out of the conference, you need to be a little interactive and smart in asking questions from the speaker.
Conferences are the ideal opportunity to connect with leading industry experts, so you definitely don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to consult them.
Tip 5: Take breaks to summarize your notes
It is an ambitious goal to attend every single talk at a conference, given that lots of them might actually overlap. Taking breaks isn’t only good for networking or regaining focus and allows you to look at your notes to digest them. Scan through your notes, highlight key points, and follow up with other attendees if you have missed anything or compare your notes with them.
Grab the opportunity before it is too late!
A Great Opportunity to Empower and Upskill Individuals
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