Welcome to Learning Solutions Digital Experience (LSDX)! We aren’t face-to-face, and we miss seeing everyone in person. But we are excited to share this virtual conference experience with you! Yes, it’s virtual, and you are in front of your computer for the sessions and accessing the conference materials via the conference platform, but you are still attending one of the best learning conferences. Attending is bolded…even though you are in front of your computer, you are still entering the Learning Solutions environment when you access the conference platform. Think of it like this: Instead of attending Learning Solutions in Orlando, you are attending from your computer!
Here are some tips to make your Learning Solutions digital experience the very best it can possibly be:
Be prepared
At a face-to-face conference, you need to know where things are and how to get to them. The same is true at a digital conference. Take some time to familiarize yourself with where things are in the platform. Be sure to check out the attendee information page for valuable information. Jump in the platform, see how things work, and engage with the community. Review the sessions and place them in your calendar, which is available on the Learning Solutions website. Each session has a calendar link at the bottom of the detailed session description.
Be present at the conference
When you attend Learning Solutions in Orlando, you have made arrangements; booked a flight and a hotel room, blocked the time on your calendar, and alerted co-workers and family that you will be at DevLearn. Although you aren’t flying or staying in a hotel, still need to block the time on your calendar and inform your co-workers and family that you are “at” a conference. Don’t try to watch the sessions in the background, be fully present in a session, even if it occurs at your workspace.
Reduce distractions
- Find a place where you and your computer can be comfortably situated. Ideally, you have a quiet room where you can shut a door, or at least alert others not to disturb you.
- Set your email response to an out-of-office message.
- Only have the conference platform open on your computer.
Be comfortable and prepared
- Have some beverages and snacks available while you are in sessions.
- Position yourself with your computer plugged into an outlet, no need to worry about your battery.
- Have chargers for your phone, earbuds, or other devices you may use nearby.
- Remember to recharge all devices after each day of the conference so you can start fresh and fully charged in the morning.
- Stand up, stretch, and move around between sessions. There are no long walks to the next session or Expo Hall!
Share your experience
- Be sure to engage in the session chat to ask questions, make comments, and converse with other attendees in your session.
- You can also continue your conversations within the community tab or through the activity stream on the main platform page.
- Make some new friends and contacts by talking about the sessions, discussing your common interests, or how you will use what you are learning.
- Let others know about your experience on social.
- Take notes and share the experience with yourself at a later date, or you may want to just want to sit back and absorb and watch the recording later.
- Make time to reflect on the day’s sessions and perhaps even write a brief note that you can share with colleagues, your network, or other conference attendees through the activity stream.
After the conference
You have access the platform until October, so the conference really ends six months from now!
- Make the time for the platform–it’s waiting for you! Watch those sessions you didn’t attend live.
- Revisit the sessions you did attend, and review your notes, or add to them.
- Follow up with people you met at the conference.