5 confidence-boosting tips for attending in-person industry events when you’re rusty

In 2022, the return of in-person events is gathering pace. Last week I attended the Cardiff Translation Unconference and, in a few weeks, I’ll be at the ITI Conference in Brighton.

For many of us this change of tempo is welcome, exciting, and terrifying all at the same time. It means moving out of our comfort zones and into the big wide world beyond the reassuring comfort and splendid isolation of our home offices.

Let’s face it, despite regularly attending industry events in the pre-pandemic years, it has been a while since most of us did this and we’re out of practice. Read these five tips if you’re planning to attend an in-person event in your sector and you’re feeling rusty:

1. Keep your adrenalin levels in check. 😰

Adrenalin (or ‘good anxiety’) can be your friend: it focuses your mind and you can channel the energy it creates. But when it tips you into overdrive, it can also be your enemy. To help quiet any negative anxiety before leaving for the event, spend one minute breathing in and out slowly – counting to six as you go and holding the inhale at the top before letting it go again. This should help to calm your nerves. For me, yoga offers another way of steadying myself and staying focused.

Before you leave, doing a bit of pre-conference research about who will attend and connecting with them in advance will also help you feel more prepared and at ease.

2. Don’t self-criticise. 🤟

Remember that most freelance linguists are probably just like you and me: keen to network and share ideas, but also pretty introverted. Just like you and me, they probably spend more time behind a computer screen than speaking to people face-to-face, and they probably don’t have any secret conversational superpowers that you mysteriously lack.

When you walk into a room at an event, remember that the other attendees are all there for the same reason. Keeping this in mind takes the pressure off.

3. Manage your expectations. 🚵

Networking is a journey, not a destination. You don’t know where that journey will take you and it will probably make you less nervous if you don’t have a fixed destination in mind. Especially if the networking is between peers and colleagues.

Think about building connections along that journey ̶ connections you may revisit in the future. Don’t bounce around the room for fleeting chats with as many people as possible. It’s not about promoting your business at every moment. Attend the smaller fringe events if you can, too. The fringe events are an ideal opportunity to engage with people in a more meaningful way.

4. Pace yourself. 🦥

Arrive early if you can. Arriving early means you can take stock of everything before it gets busier (and noisier). It might also enable you to locate a smaller group of peers and begin a conversation. Plus, others may notice you there early and approach you first.

For you, arriving early could even mean arriving one or two days early to settle comfortably into your groove, or adding an extra evening to your stay after the conference to bask in unbroken solitude.

5. Guard against overstimulation. 💫

Squirrel brain is real. I’m always keen to take absolutely everything in, even though it leaves me feeling shattered. I tend to be extremely comfortable with one-to-one connections, but burned out when there’s lots of noise and action coming from different directions. Especially when the networking continues into the evening at post-conference dinners – I know that’s my potential pain point.

To counteract this, try building in some buffer time to refresh ̶ time to retreat to your accommodation if you need to, so you’re not always in conference mode. Remind yourself that you do not have to be ‘on’ at all times. If you could potentially skip any sessions that aren’t as relevant to you, it’s OK to take a short walk in the fresh air to decompress.

Because you’re worth it

Even though in-person events and conferences can be daunting, they beat all other forms of professional networking hands down. So much of my work comes through referrals, and meeting someone in person helps to build trust.

I am actively engaged in my professional network the rest of the year, so these events offer a rare opportunity to meet all those names I usually only connect with online. And I always come away with fresh ideas and perspectives. In short, I couldn’t run my business without in-person events, even if my inner introvert tries to persuade me otherwise 😉