We’ve Gotten Lazy And Are Blaming Covid

We’ve Gotten Lazy And Are Blaming Covid

I’m in Atlanta today at an agency principal conference. About 200 of us are learning what is new since Covid, what is happening and trending in our industry and where business is going.

You should be going to conferences… in person. A lot of us were relieved at first to stay home and stoke the fires and ground ourselves for a season. But that season turned to a year then it turned to a couple of years, and here you are — nearly three years later and some (many) of you are still sitting at home and have yet to venture out.

We realized that we can attend meetings, manage teams and even collaborate from our couch — and it’s completely accepted. We may question why we would ever leave our place again, aside from walks and premium coffee runs.

I’m at my first in-person conference in three years, and less than half a day in, I am realizing how much I needed it. I needed the information, the people, the networking, and I needed more than ever to do it in person with my community of agency principals.

Already, this is what I was missing:

Networking
We need to be around people to share ideas, hear their solutions, maybe even complain a little without having to explain ourselves. Also critical is improving our soft skills of connecting with real live humans.

Knowledge Expansion
Learning can happen online, but we are conditioned to learn specifically in person. My brain is less tempted to check email or LinkedIn when I’m sitting in front of the teachers than when I have the barrier of anonymity of online webinars.

I’m falling back in love with my industry and feeling the surge of insights and information coursing through me.

Trends Insights
We’ve been bunkered down and, in many ways, have a false sense of what is happening in this world. Industries have changed dramatically, and if you are sitting on old knowledge, you are no longer the expert. Conferences offer a glimpse into the latest trends and technologies.

Social Meeting Brags
Being seen at a moving and shaking event maintains your position as a relevant person in your industry. People do business with people who they believe have value to bring them. If you are keeping your knowledge fresh by reading articles, good for you, but that’s not seen or known unless you blog about it. However, a great photo and microblog about your conference attendance is visible and tells the story well.

A word of advice with a little humility: if you haven’t been out to a conference in a long time, start planning to attend one. This week, find a conference, book a flight and get committed. Your company’s success and your personal career success needs the unique benefits that in-person conferences bring.