Sadly, some attendees at even the greatest educational events waste their money.

 They buy the ticket, attend every seminar or presentation very faithfully, maybe even take a few notes, return to their salons - and it's business as usual.  Something ventured, nothing gained.

Make sure your next educational event gives you a good return for your money.  Here's a quick guide that will put you on track and on purpose:

PLAN: Don't just plan to go to an educational event.  Your education is part of your business strategy.  Think it through.  Where are you weak? Where are you strong?  Select those educational events that will fill in gaps in your knowledge.

ESTABLISH GOALS:  As the event approaches, write down what your goals and purposes are - what you want to learn and why.

GET SPECIFIC:  You have specific questions you need answered.  Write them down now, before the event, and be sure to take them along with you so that you can get them answered by the experts

DON'T GO TO BE EDUCATED, GO TO LEARN:  The first thing you must do is adjust your attitude.  Education doesn't just happen. You have to pursue it, plan for it, work for it.

NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK:  The people on stage or at the podium are not the only ones with valuable information.  The audience is a treasure trove of advice for solving everyday business problems.  Take plenty of business cards along, make plenty of friends, ask for advise freely.  You will find plenty of capable people among your peers, and many of them would be flattered to share what they have learned.

PARTICIPATION:  The more active you are, the more you'll learn.  Don't pass up the chance to participate, especially if you have unanswered questions remaining on the list you brought with you.

TAKE MEANINGFUL NOTES:  You don't have to jot down every word spoken.  You need to record the gist of what is said and what you intend to do about it.  You need two columns on each page.  The first is for noting what the speaker said.  The second is for writing down what you're going to do about it.  Your action plan, the second column is crucial.

REVIEW YOUR GOALS AND QUESTIONS FREQUENTLY:  in the midst of all that information and rushing back and forth, you can get sidetracked easily.  Review at the end of each class to make sure you're getting what you came for.

SHARE:  When you get back to work, share your new insights and ideas with your staff or co-workers.  By going over your notes, you'll keep the information fresh in your own mind, too.

FOLLOW-THROUGH:  This means coming up with (and following) an action plan for putting into effect all the wonderful ideas you came home with  It also means staying in touch with those great people you met at the conference.  Not only are they resources, they're friends too.

Does this sound like a lot of work? 

It is...

            But you're not paying to be entertained; you're paying for the opportunity to learn.  So don't knock the opportunity; seize it, and you'll be the wiser and richer for it.

See you soon... At a show near you