Annual Conference First-Timers

• Check-in and set-up your table during lunch or in the early afternoon prior to the start of the fair.
• Arrive as early as possible to be at your table by the start of the fair.
• Bring business cards to have available on your table and a place for others to drop business cards at your table.
• Bring a pen! Many people find it useful to write notes or reminders on the business cards of the people with whom they connect.
• Many high schools and universities use this fair to schedule their fall travel and visits. Bring your institution’s calendar or planner with you to the fair. It is a good idea to have a backup downloaded or paper version in case of slow wifi due to heavy traffic.
• For longer conversations or social connections, arrange a time to connect later during the Conference. Sometimes there are more private spaces nearby during the Conference for more personal conversations.
• Review the fair floor plans in advance and familiarize yourself with where the various geographic regions will be located.
• We recommend bringing a table cloth/banner with your institutional name and logo. This makes it much easier for attendees to identify your institution.
• The amount of time you have at both fairs is brief. Prioritize institutions. For some institutions, instead of trying to have a 4-5 minute conversation, introduce yourself briefly – exchange cards – and ask if it is ok to follow up the Conference with a more meaningful conversation.
• Use the fairs as an opportunity to chat with those you might not see during fall travel season.
• Have a few icebreaking questions ready when meeting representatives for the first time so it isn’t too awkward.
• The fairs are crowded, and you will find some tables have long lines. You need to weigh the benefits of waiting for that institution against having conversations with more institutions.
• Bringing a tablet or laptop with the school/college website up and running is an easy way to have information readily available.

Attending the fairs can be a little overwhelming for anyone. There is not a lot of warmup time to gain your confidence! To help gain confidence sooner, you can seek out universities who have accepted your students this year; or as a university representative, seek out those high schools from where students are coming.