Month: October 2026 (page 1 of 1)

October 20, 2026 / 0 Comments

What Technical People Should Expect from a Non-Technical Conference

“Are any of these sessions going to have less… fluff?” was something that my younger, new coworker asked me somewhere halfway through the first day of a two-day conference focused on developing women leaders. Those may not have been the exact words she used, but that was 100% the intent behind what she asked. She is an application programmer, newer to the workforce than I am; this was her first non-technical conference, and she clearly expected something different of it than what we were experiencing. I can’t blame her; I felt the exact same way a few years ago when I first attended the Women and Leadership conference at Boise State University myself.

If you are someone who works in IT and are attending a general, non-technical professional conference for the first time, you may feel caught off-guard when you’re expecting to learn hard skills or technical skills, and instead you’re only presented with ways to improve soft skills or even more ambiguous topics.

Read on to learn what you can expect to experience when you attend a professional, but non-technical, conference for the first time, so hopefully you are not as caught off-guard as my coworker was this year.

If there are other things you think I could have added, please let me know in the comments! I always love to hear other people’s experiences.

What’s in this post

You will likely not learn hard, technical skills

I am going to get this out of the way immediately. If you are reading this blog, you are probably coming from a technical or IT background, which means you will likely be disappointed to learn that a general professional conference will not provide you with any hard skills you can directly apply to your daily work. That isn’t the purpose of these types of conferences; if it was, they probably wouldn’t even do a good job since the target audience has such a wide variety of professions that couldn’t all be covered.

I think this is the biggest shock to learn for people new to general professional conferences. It caught me off-guard the first time I went to one. I also saw it this year with a younger coworker attending this type of conference for the first time. These conferences aren’t like college, technical conferences, or online courses. They aren’t meant to teach people specific hard skills, because they would need to have too many different sessions for all the professions the attendees work in.

If you’re about to attend a conference like this for the first time and you work in IT or another technical profession, go in with an open mind, expecting to learn something completely unexpected, because I guarantee that you will. It won’t be what you might expect, but it will still be great.

You will learn something you weren’t expecting

Since the topics at a professional conference aren’t targeted at any specific profession, that means the topics chosen for sessions are going to be chosen to be suitable for a broad range of professionals. That can range from how to network, how to make a personal brand, all the way to things like how to meditate and do deep breathing to calm your nervous system during tough times at work. Each year that I’ve gone to a generalized conference, the topics have had such a wide variety. For example, one of the “skill builder” sessions offered at the Women and Leadership conference this year was about estate planning. I bet you wouldn’t have considered that topic to be relevant to you, but several of my coworkers went to that and said it was really insightful.

You will learn useful soft skills

Soft skills are the underrepresented benefit of a well-rounded employee that so many people, especially in technical realms like IT, overlook. While each worker should definitely have technical skills required to complete the job they were hired for, they will be much better to work with if they have soft skills as well.

What are soft skills? These are behaviors that you exhibit that shape how you communicate and work with others. They are often called “people skills”, but I think soft skills can also apply to things outside of direct interaction with others. Some examples of soft skills are: being able to gracefully handle conflict with coworkers; being able to read and write clearly to communicate ideas to others; being able to recognize and manage emotions in others; flexibility; time management; organization. The last few items are soft skills that can relate to other people at work, but are also just a part of how you decide to manage your own work.

One of the best things about general professional conferences is that there are usually several sessions available that focus on soft skills. These types of skills are necessary for all professionals, no matter their field, which is why they are frequent topics of presentations at this type of conference.

The soft skill that stuck with me most this year was changing my mindset to change my habits. One speaker pointed out that we try to change our behaviors without asking what thoughts and beliefs are driving them. I wanted to be less distracted at work, but after past failed attempts, I’d come to believe I was just a distractible person. She showed me how to tweak that thought into something that still feels authentic but points toward who I want to be: “I only get distracted when I’m tired.” Shifting that belief has actually helped improve my focus. I would never have learned this at a database conference, and I’m glad I got to apply it to both my work and personal life.

You will get to meet new people from your own company

If your company is anything like mine, they probably like to send more than one person to each conference. That means hanging out at the conference with the other people from your work who were sent there as well. This is a great opportunity to meet new people and make connections at work. There are so many reasons why it’s good to network with different people outside your normal sphere at work, and I’ve found that being together at a conference has proven to be an excellent way to chat with people I otherwise would never meet or talk to.

Why is it good to talk to other people from your own company?

  • Gives you insights into other things that are happening at your company that could impact your own work in the future
  • Make new work friends, which can improve your experience of work
  • It can open doors to new opportunities within the company outside your team; not just new jobs, but also new projects or presentations within your current role
  • They likely have some of the same frustrations and problems with their own job and the company as you do, so you can vent and get some of your frustrations out. It can be nice to know you’re at least not alone in whatever you’re going through.
  • Meeting new people can be fun. You never know what type of lives your coworkers live outside of work, and it’s fun to learn what hobbies or lives outside of work coworkers have.

You will get opportunities to meet people outside of your profession that you wouldn’t get otherwise

I’ve met and talked to some of the most interesting people at the non-technical conferences I’ve gone to. When you go to a technical conference, you can expect that the people attending likely perform roles similar to your own. At something like the Women and Leadership conference, however, you can’t expect anything like that. This year, I met and chatted with a woman who is a mechanical engineer, a woman who is a sales manager, and then a woman who is a project manager. In previous years, I chatted with a group of women who worked for the Bureau of Reclamation. I didn’t even really know what that entity was or did until I talked to them!

When I chatted with the mechanical engineer this year, we were able to relate to each other on how some of the sessions hadn’t given us the “meat” we were hoping for, which was interesting. She obviously had a more “technical” background, although not directly with technology/computers like me. I found similarities with someone that I normally wouldn’t run into in my job.

And when I talked with the Bureau of Reclamation women, I learned so many new things, like how there are three different government agencies managing just one reservoir in Boise. I had absolutely nothing in common with them career-wise, but still really enjoyed talking to them.

When you talk to people outside your own organization, you learn about careers and industries you might not even know about. Talking to new people broadens your own horizons, and these professional conferences with wide audiences are the perfect place to do that.

As an IT person myself, I know how nerve-wracking it can be to interact with others that I don’t already know, but I really encourage you to take a risk and talk to someone new at a conference. Each time I’ve branched out to talk to a new person, I have enjoyed the conversation and not regretted it at all.

You probably won’t love every session you attend

I always promise honesty in my posts, so I am sticking to that with this one: you probably won’t love or have a great takeaway from every single session you attend at a general professional conference. Every year I’ve gone to one, there has been at least one session that missed the mark for me. Whether it was because the session ended up being much different than I thought based on the title, or the presenter wasn’t great, or because I just wasn’t as interested in the topic as I thought I was going to be.

I will argue that almost every session can help you learn something, even if that something is that you don’t like when presenters do x or y. That something can be beneficial to learn, because then you can make sure not to include that behavior or method in your own presentations in the future.

But if you are stuck in a session from hell that’s so far from interesting or useful to you that you just zone out or play on your phone, know that there are options and you aren’t stuck there. It is always okay to quietly leave the session and either find another that sounds more interesting or take a break. I personally think it’s more respectful to the presenter to fully remove yourself rather than be on your phone or computer, obviously not listening but still in the room. As long as you’re not making a racket while trying to leave or making it hard for others to stay tuned in, it’s not a big deal to head out.

You will be encouraged and empowered

Professional conferences, especially women-focused ones like the BSU Women and Leadership conference, are a great place to go to feel encouraged and empowered. There is something special about leaving your normal work behind for two or three days to dedicate your time to expanding your horizons, learning from new people, and thinking about new topics. Each time I’ve gone to a non-technical conference, I have heard from inspirational speakers who make me want to do more with my life. My current life is great, but it feels so freeing to know that I could change my career and life path at any time, should I choose to do so.

Each speaker brings an interesting perspective on handling challenges in life, and that’s what I love most about this type of conference. This year, I heard from a multinational inspirational speaker and charitable powerhouse of a woman who taught me about owning my privileges and using them for good. I listened to a woman who is normally a weight-loss coach, but she shared ideas about changing behaviors and habits that have stuck with me since her session. In previous years, I joined sessions that inspired me to do new things, like starting this blog.

There is something special about listening to people who bring positivity, joy, and encouragement to others. It allows you to gain a new perspective on your life. I always leave these conferences energized because of those new ideas and encouraging words.

Summary

General professional conferences can be very useful to people of all ages and professions if they are given a fair chance. If you are about to attend a general conference like this, go in with an open mind, expecting to learn something unexpected. Enjoy the experience while you can, and think of how you can apply what is taught in sessions, even if they don’t seem immediately applicable. If you’re in IT, the conference may feel like more “fluff” than you wanted, but I hope you are able to take away useful insights in the future by using my ideas above.

Picture showing a blue knit toiletries pouch, cell phone, mini fan, notebook, and snacks sitting together on a table
October 1, 2026 / 0 Comments

What to Bring to a Professional Conference

After graduating from college and starting an office job, you will likely find yourself invited by your company, or allowed by them to attend, professional conferences. These could be giant, multi-thousand-person technical conferences, or smaller local conferences focused on general personal and professional development. Each conference will require you to bring a slightly different set of items with you to be prepared. Today, I want to cover what you should bring to a general professional conference, one that is more like the second type I described above: focused on general professional development (like communication or courage) and personal development. This is going to be a very practicle, tangible list of things to bring, not a fluffy “you should bring a good atttitude!” type of post.

My inspiration for writing this is attending the Boise Andrus Center Women & Leadership conference at Boise State University for the third year in a row. For this type of conference, I pack far fewer things than I would for a highly technical conference like FabCon/SQLCon. But if you’re new to the professional world and about to attend this type of conference for the first time, how are you supposed to know what to bring? Should you show up with just your purse (or wallet/phone) and nothing else? Is it valuable to bring other things with you? Keep reading to find out.

What’s in this post

Notebook and Pen

This one should be fairly obvious, but at this year’s conference, I’ve seen quite a few people caught without writing implements when we were requested to write things down for a session activity. I know so many people have gone totally digital and like to take notes electronically, either on a phone or laptop, but you should stick to the classics for conferences, in my opinion.

If you’re trying to take notes on a device, it’s likely harder and less convenient to do for quick activities, and it also leaves you prone to distraction. One of my rules for conferences of any kind is that I will not bring my work laptop with me, because if I do, I will definitely be pulled back into work and ignore the conference since Teams and Outlook will always be pinging. Do yourself a favor, give yourself the distraction-free option of taking notes with paper and pen. Bring yourself a notebook and pen.

Phone and Charger

The one device I do bring with me to use during the conference is my phone (well, I bring two since I have separate work and personal phones). Having your phone with you will allow you to access any digital information provided by the conference, such as parking instructions, directions for where to go, what to bring, as well as giving you the ability to scan QR codes from presenters throughout the conference. In almost every session of every conference I’ve attended, the presenter has had a QR code in their presentation for feedback sites or free items from them. They may also provide resources to use for worksheets or tasks during the presentation. You don’t want to miss out on those opportunities if you think you might like to take them.

Of course, you can’t forget something to charge your phone in case you use it a lot, so bring a charger with you. For bigger conferences, I recommend bringing a power bank instead of relying on being able to find out outlet, since they can be a hot commodity. For smaller conferences like the Women & Leadership conference at BSU, you can bring your normal charger and expect to find an available outlet when needed.

Water Bottle

Many conferences are moving to be more environmentally friendly (yay!) so they do not provide to go cups or single-use water bottles for attendees, which makes bringing your own refillable water bottle a great idea. This holds especially true at the Women & Leadership Conference at BSU, because the Andrus Center that runs the conference focuses on environmental stewardship. That means that all drink-ware is glass and fairly small, so I’ve seen people having to walk back and forth to the main room constantly to get water and coffee that’s provided, and all are trying very hard not to spill from the small glasses while walking.

I totally support the move to not having disposable drinkware, but it does make me glad that I bring my own water bottle, so am not beholden to the water dispensers and small glasses in the main room.

On the note of coffee, the same thing applies as with water. You may want to bring your own travel mug for getting the free conference coffee if you don’t want to be stuck with a very small glass that’s not easily transportable to other areas.

Snacks and Gum

Conference days can be long and rigid, and they may not align with your natural cues for hunger or your regular meal times, so I recommend bringing a small snack (or several) with you to any conference so you know you won’t go hungry and get hangry if lunch or snacks aren’t served when you need them. I always bring a granola/nut bar of some kind with me, and then maybe some fruit leather or whatever else I have in my pantry.

I’m the type of person that needs to eat a little bit of food every couple hours, so I won’t (mentally) survive if I had to go the five hours between breakfast before the conference and lunch at the conference with nothing to hold me over. Plus, there’s never a guarantee that you will like what is served at the conference (they’re always so hit or miss with the food), so carrying your own backup snack is a good idea in that instance, too.

Some conferences serve treats or snacks in the afternoons, but not all do. Which is just another reason to prepare yourself, so you don’t spend the whole afternoon with your stomach growling.

A final note on this topic is that you may also want to consider bringing gum or mints for yourself, since you’re more likely to talk to others at a conference than in other places, because part of every conference is networking. And with all the free coffee served, and the snacks to hold you over between meals, you might want to have a method to freshen your breath before talking to a bunch of people.

Jacket/Cardigan

This one goes out to all the ladies, who, like me, are plagued by too-strong air conditioning everywhere we go. Conference centers are usually set up to keep the rooms cool with hundreds of bodies heating the place up, which means that the cool air is likely flowing strongly, even in the cooler months of the year. I personally have found that conferences are always too hot or too cold, so I bring a jacket or cardigan with me every day of a conference. It’s a little annoying to pack around sometimes, but when I get stuck in a room where the air conditioning is blowing directly on me for an hour or more, I appreciate being able to cover up and prevent (figurative) frostbite.

If you know you’re on the opposite end of the spectrum and are always running hot, this advice may not apply to you. But it never hurts to come prepared. If you run hot, this cute little phone-powered fan may be a good idea to bring instead. These were given out as goodies on the first day of the Women & Leadership conference at BSU this year, and I think it’s pretty nifty. It blows a lot stronger than I would have guessed, and some of my older coworkers told me it was great for dealing with hot flashes throughout the conference. I don’t know how quickly it would drain your battery, but it does seem a lot handier than bringing a separate battery powered fan.

Picture showing a smart phone with mini fan plugged into the charging port

Laptop

While I did say above that you should try not to use your laptop for notes since you may get distracted by normal work and miss the conference even though you’re at the conference, I think there are some reasons that bringing your laptop may be a good idea. Personally, I bring my own, non-work laptop with me to conferences in case I want to research anything in breaks or to be able to work on my blog or other personal projects. If you have a job that just won’t let you be “off” for a whole day, you might bring your work laptop with you to check in at lunch or during breaks.

I am currently writing this post on my laptop while waiting for the second day of my conference to start. Laptops aren’t bad by default, but can become an impediment to your learning and growth if you let it.

If you are going to bring your laptop, make sure it’s charged before you leave for the conference to reduce the chances of needing to charge throughout the day. But also remember to bring your charger to use when needed, just don’t expect to find an easy and convenient place to plug it in and be able to use it. Technical conferences are usually pretty good at putting power strips everywhere in session rooms since computers are expected in those conferences, but non-technical conferences are a lot less likely to give you good places to charge and work at the same time.

Earbuds/Headphones

This recommendation is for people who are easily overwhelmed by crowds and large events, or people who just want to be in their own bubble for a bit throughout the day. I always bring earbuds to conferences with me, in case I want to watch a video over lunch, or if I need a moment of solitude and relative quiet in a loud event. Plus, having the earbuds available and ready means I can quickly turn on a grounding meditation during a break if needed. I also use mine during breaks if I need to do a bit of work, since having my own quiet music on lets me concentrate better than if I was hearing all the people talking around me.

Emergency Toiletries

This recommendation is mostly directed at the ladies again, but truly can apply to anyone. I normally carry around a small pouch with my regularly needed toiletries, and going to a conference is no different. In my pouch, I have:

  • Ibuprofen, Tylenol, and Benedryl (headaches and allergy flare ups)
  • Floss (for post-lunch freshening)
  • Earplugs (mostly for when I am traveling, to make sure I can block out traffic noises in hotels, but also handy for other things that come up)
  • Nail file
  • Nail clippers (I really hate having hang nails and chipped nails)
  • Pocket mirror (good for checking face/teeth after eating)
  • Lip balm
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Glasses lens cleaning wipes

Customize the list to be whatever you would most likely need in a mini personal “emergency” situation (fashion issue, minor medical issue).

Summary

Preparing for a professional conference should be quick and easy, especially if you follow my list of items above. Don’t bring too many things, because then it becomes hard to move between sessions and to shake the hands of new people you meet. Try to fit everything into a single backpack or bag you can easily handle yourself, something you can tuck to the side or under your chair during a session.

If you would like to know what to expect and how to mentally prepare for a professional but non-technical conference, I will have a post coming out next week that covers that topic. I have a younger colleague who joined me for the Women & Leadership conference this week, and I don’t think she knew what to expect for how this conference would go, and I believe it impacted what she thinks of the conference. Attending a generalized, non-technical conference can feel a little weird for highly technical people like programmers and engineers, so next week’s post aims to level set expectations for these types of conferences so hopefully people aren’t surprised in a bad way.

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