In this episode we recommend Craft and Commerce and XOXO as the top rated conferences we have attended. Charli admits she might be a little biased as she has a part to play in the organisation of Craft and Commerce but basically the conference is what the Convertkit team want all conferences to be like, and that makes it the best.

XOXO gets a mention because they went beyond just the speakers and thought about the whole experience that visitors to the conference would have. Activities during breaks helped encourage people to get to know one another even though it was a larger conference. At XOXO, leaders in the industry were given a platform to share their unique perspective.

If you do have the opportunity to attend a conference, try to fit in one talk that is outside your industry. It is good to expand your horizons in this way when you get the chance.

Attending an Unconference involves a lot more participation on the part of the attendee than a regular conference. It might push you outside your comfort zone as you are encouraged to think about your career in a way you never have before.

Take time after the conference is over to write down your key takeaways. If it fits with the culture at your company, share what you learned with your team. That way everyone benefits from your attendance at the conference.

Take notes if something one of the speakers makes you think, and try to check out the schedule in advance so you have an idea of what events you will attend and the exact time they are on. Try to talk to new people, this can be tricky. We suggest tweeting about the conference before you go, it might help you to connect with someone else who is also going and would like to meet new people.

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01.47 – Catch up
06.10 – Today’s topics
06.34 – Charli’s favourite conference
09.02 – Femke’s favourite conference
12.27 – Traditional conferences V The Unconference
16.10 – Our conference goals
17.40 – Picking a conferences
22.54 – Making the most of it
27.08 – Are conferences worth it?

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