For the first time Dayziner LLC will be attending The Design Bloggers Conference in Beverly Hills, CA. To add to the anticipation and excitement, our founder and lead designer, Dayna Hairston, was selected to receive one of five conference scholarships sponsored by Lamps Plus. That’s correct, ONE of FIVE!!! As a scholarship recipient, Dayna will have the opportunity to attend the conference, write a guest blog on the conference website, tour the local Lamps Plus Showroom, and be recognized on stage during the event as a scholarship recipient. Our little designer hearts are beaming with pride and excitement!

We are now less than one week away from the start of the conference! Suddenly we are wondering how to even prepare for the confenrence? Especially a conference we have never gone to before. (hmmm…) So after much brainstorming we put together a handy checklist of our Top 5 Tips to Prepare for The Design Bloggers Conference (or any conference!)

1- Update and Order Business Cards

Dayziner LLC officially launched at the beginning of this year. Needless to say we did not have any business cards ready on deck. But there is nothing like an upcoming networking event to inspire you to order business cards… and fast! Your business card is almost like a mini resume. It’s the first impression of who you are and what you represent. Of course as designers we wanted them to be stylish, memorable and just a little different, but in a classic way. Sounds like an oxymoron right, different yet classic?! Well after countless hours in front of the computer we designed something that is just that.

We are in love with our new cards! At the end of the day your leave behind item needs to be something that you are confident about, something that you will be proud to hand out and hopefully, something that will make people remember you and pick up the phone (or email…we aren’t picky!)

2- Purchase a Business Card Holder

Love it? Find it HERE

While we are on the topic of business cards, keep in mind you have got to store them somewhere. Wrapping them in a rubber band or binder clip simply will not do. Remember being in college and taking that course on how to conduct yourself at a job interview. One of the takeaways we remember from that is to ensure you have a nice pen on hand, just in case. You don’t want to flounder around looking for writing utensil only to find a half broken, plastic, neon yellow, click pen that you probably found on the floor somewhere because it reminded you about how much you love yellow and you really need a pen right now so you swiped it up and now its your only pen that writes. We’ve been there! Pick up a nice business card holder. Enough said.

Love it? Find it HERE.

Keep in mind that the goal is to also RECEIVE cards. It’s best to have a system in place to organize them while keeping them separate from your personal supply. We recently ordered this business card organizer from Amazon. It’s small enough to fit in our bag and has the capacity to hold up to 300 cards. Hopefully the bright color will help us find it quickly in the dark ether that is our work bag!

3- Download Note Taking Apps

Sure we could take notes with pen and notepad and it is a good idea to have a notepad handy as a backup. But, in today’s digital age take advantage of technology and maximize your tablet with the best note taking apps for your learning style. Take some time to research the best apps available for your needs, especially if you haven’t taken notes in a while or recently purchased a new device. For this event we like the idea of being able to take notes and audio so we downloaded an app that allows us to do both simultaneously. We just downloaded Notebook- Create Beautiful Notes for our iPad. We’ll let you know what we think.

Have a note taking app that you absolutely love? Tell us about it in the comments below!

4- Increase Digital Content and Social Media Presence

While this is a great idea for any event or conference, we are attending the design BLOGGERS conference. You know that your blog is fantastic, but maybe you are not experience the traffic that you would like. Remember you are networking to grow your brand, which means that one of your many goals is to grow your online audience and keep them coming back for more. In the weeks leading up to your big event continue to make current, relevant, and thoughtful content. Remember to spend meaningful time on social media to grow your following. Search relevant hashtags related to your event and use them as much as possible leading up to the event. Work on engaging your followers and curating real relationships. If you are on multiple social platforms, find the one with the lowest follower count and work to grow those numbers. Strive to have equal and consistent numbers on more than one platform. This will show that you are active and engaged while giving others more opportunities to find you on their platform of choice.

5- Make a Game Plan

Let’s face it, even with a scholarship it is an investment to go on an out of town trip. It’s time away from your family, time away from your business and your daily routine altered. Make the most of every opportunity! You never know when you may have this chance again. Use the hashtag of the event to research who may potentially be attending that you want to connect with. Send them a message to let them know you’re going as well and that you would like to meet them. Make every effort to find them and connect in person. Look at the conference schedule and plan out the exhibits, sessions, or special events you want to attend.

If there is a keynote speaker or presenter that you would like meet, have an idea of what you want to say to him or her as you may only have a brief moment to snap a selfie and say a few words…so make them count! At the end of the day you have to be flexible and plan for the unexpected, but having a few thoughts in mind of your not-to miss-events will help you avoid the pitfall of the “if-only” thoughts.

Even though you are on a business trip remember to take a moment to have fun! Make the most of the experience. At least visit the hotel pool even if only to say you saw it! Take lots of pictures, memories are forever! Be a sponge and learn everything you can and simply enjoy the journey. Thank you Lamps Plus for this wonderful opportunity! We look forward to soaking in every moment of it!