Looking to make the most out of your next national convention? Don’t miss this episode of The FOX Five, where FOX Rehabilitation’s Anne Mironchik, MS, CCC-SLP, shares her top five essential tips for navigating conferences with ease. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a first-time attendee, Anne’s insights will help you avoid being overwhelmed and maximize your experience. From choosing the perfect hotel location to knowing when to step away for sightseeing and self-care, her advice ensures you’ll have a balanced, rewarding time.

Anne also dives into the importance of setting clear intentions for the conference, staying realistic about your learning limits, and the value of having a trusted colleague by your side to share the journey with. If you're planning to attend a conference this year, you’ll want to hear Anne's firsthand tips and practical strategies for making the most out of every session, social event, and networking opportunity. Packed with wisdom from Anne’s personal experiences at the 2023 ASHA Conference, this episode is a must-watch for anyone looking to make their conference experience truly impactful. Learn how you can apply these simple yet effective tips for a successful and memorable convention experience.

Jim: Welcome to The FOX Five, the show that explores the wonderful world of FOX Rehabilitation through an original list created by a FOX colleague. That FOX colleague today is Speech-Language Pathologist, Ann Mironchik. Welcome back!

Anne: Hi, Jim! Thank you so much for asking me to do this and for letting me think back on the conference that I attended.

Jim: You attended the ASHA conference in 2023, and you were so good on the podcast that I requested an encore for The FOX Five.

Anne: Okay.

Jim: Because I think this could be helpful. This is a more distilled version of that podcast. You can listen to the long-form version on the Live Better Longer podcast, but this will be a condensed version of that. You gave great tips on the podcast, so without giving away too much—I think I already did—what is your FOX Five today?

Anne: My FOX Five are Five Tips for going to a National Convention.

Jim: Alright, and so what is Number One on your FOX Five?

Anne: Number One is, don’t necessarily just book the hotel where the conference is. I have always enjoyed being in a walkable or short travel distance from the conventions, but I don’t have to be there 100% of the time. To me, that would be overwhelming. I love being able to choose a little neighborhood outside the main area, and that’s my first tip.

Jim: That is such a good tip because I think a lot of people would say, “The closer I am, the better. If I can be in the convention center, that’s awesome.” But I like that you're saying you need a little bit of separation.

Anne: Yep.

Jim: And that brings us to Number Two on your FOX Five.

Anne: Number Two is kind of linked to that for me, and that’s, make time to sightsee. Make time to get out. I was in Boston, where I did my graduate work, and I was so happy to be visiting Boston again. I went to a taping of a radio show that I listen to. I went with the foundation and background of having taken courses in communication and attended seminars on cognitive function and voice production. All of that enhanced my experience of watching the taping, and it was wonderful.

Jim: That brings us to Number Three.

Anne: Yep. Go to the convention with an intention. We all have different goals throughout our careers. You want to go to the convention with an intention. It even rhymes! That way, you come away feeling like you did something. You don’t want to just say, “I went and I saw a bunch of things,” or “I did this,” but give yourself a couple of intentions. You’ll see the list of presenters and the list of courses before the convention, so you can even plan beforehand with that intention.

Jim: For sure. And that brings us to Number Four on your FOX Five.

Anne: Number Four is, know your study habits, your style of learning, and your limits for overload. You can easily end up with a migraine and have to go back to your hotel room too soon, then stress about how you’re in bed instead of attending the sessions you paid for. Be realistic about what to do, where to go, and how many things you’re going to do in a day. Drink enough water. As your speech therapist, please drink enough water, and eat on a regular schedule. Take care of yourself while you're there.

Jim: I think that’s important to hear. You need to have limits. I always talk about the A+ student who wants to hit everything, but you're not going to hit everything. And that brings us to Number Five on your FOX Five.

Anne: Okay, I have to thank my colleague and new friend, Maureen Colket, for making this Number Five. Go to a conference with a trusted friend or colleague. Someone who may not have the same intentions or interests in sightseeing, but you have someone to touch base with at the end of the day over a meal. Maybe attend a session or two with them. You can commiserate about how there’s too much to do. “Am I going crazy? Is it just me, or are you going crazy?” If you don’t have a colleague there, maybe consider doing one of the group social events they always have available. Make sure you add some structured social time in there. It really helped, and Maureen and I will forever be connected by the Boston 2023 convention.

Jim: For anyone attending a conference this year, pull up this FOX Five and follow these five great tips.

Anne: Yeah and let me know what you think.