Going to conferences can be a great way to advance your professional career. It's an opportunity to build skills, share best practices, and network with peers. But unless you work for a company that pays your expenses, attending an out-of-town conference can be costly. Here are a few suggestions to reduce those costs while still deriving benefit from a conference.
When you register, ask about available discounts: early booking, senior citizen, student, affiliation with a sponsoring company or professional association, first-time attendee, etc. Some organizations offer scholarships to encourage their members to attend conferences. For example, I'm a member of Sisters in Crime, and they offer $150 scholarships for members to attend writers' conferences deemed to be educational. By attending Killer Nashville this summer, I qualified. The scholarship money is paid as reimbursement after the conference is over and I've submitted proof that I attended.
Staying at the conference hotel is usually preferable. No commuting involved, and you can slip up to your room during downtime to unwind. And of course, you're more apt to participate in after-hours networking activities. There are usually discounted blocks of rooms for conference attendees if you book early enough. But these often fill up quickly, or the conference hotel might be considerably more expensive than other accommodations.
Most hotel rooms have at least two double beds, so consider sharing with a colleague or friend headed for the same conference. At Killer Nashville, our conference hotel was the Embassy Suites, and we were able to fit three people into one suite, which further lowered our accommodation cost. If you don't know anyone who is going, contact the organizer or your professional network to inquire if there are other single attendees looking for a roommate.
If you have friends or family living in the area who don't mind hosting you, you can save a lot of money on hotel and meal costs, but you might not feel as connected to the conference and other attendees staying in the middle of the action. However, visiting with someone you might not otherwise have seen could make the trade-off worthwhile.
If you book a different hotel from the one where the conference is held, try to find something within walking distance, or with free, frequent shuttle service to transport you back and forth. Otherwise, transportation and/or parking costs could eat up any savings from staying "off campus."
Some conferences include meals, but with others, you must factor in additional costs for food. And in a high-end downtown hotel, nothing is free. It's ironic that the budget hotels often provide free breakfast, free Wi-Fi, free parking, but the upscale places charge extra for everything. If you're staying at a hotel with a breakfast buffet, and you'll be on your own for lunch, slip a couple pieces of fruit or a bagel in your bag for later.
Be on the look-out for receptions and hospitality suites where snacks are offered. For example, I just returned from Bouchercon, a conference for mystery readers and writers, and almost every day, various sponsoring publishers hosted the hospitality suite, laden with coffee and carbs.
A refrigerator in your room is a plus; you can store leftovers that might get you through another meal. (Just don't touch anything from the mini-bar!) If you don't have a refrigerator, check with management to see if one can be brought up. I'll drink tap water rather than spend money on bottled water, but I like it cold. Most hotels have ice machines so you can cool beverages in your room, but an ice bucket is not as flexible as a refrigerator.
Hotel restaurants tend to be pricey, so when you're going out for lunch or dinner, grab some new conference friends and explore the area. You might find a tastier meal for less money.
Educational sessions are wonderful, but most networking at conferences happens in the bar. Embassy Suites had a free happy hour for hotel guests, but most hotels gouge you on bar drinks. Having to pay ten to twelve dollars for a glass of wine keeps me from overindulging. Maybe that's a good thing… Learn to drink slowly and don't be afraid to ask for a glass of water instead of a refill.
Depending on your profession and whether you're a sole proprietor, a volunteer for a nonprofit, or an employee, many of your costs to attend a conference may be tax deductible. Save your receipts.
What are your thoughts on attending professional conferences? I'd love to hear your comments.
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