How Introverts Can Navigate Events

I have a love-hate relationship with conferences and networking events. While I love to meet new people and to learn new things, large or busy events can get overwhelming. I'm an introvert. I like my alone time. After a lot of activity,  conversations, and noise, I need to go somewhere quiet and recharge. 

Last week's Daily Writer Retreat got me thinking about the advantage of smaller events (at least for me). This was a two-day event, with dinner together at a local restaurant the night before. It was a small event, really much like a mastermind, with only a dozen people. That's one of the things that made this an easy ‘yes’ for me. 

Here are some things that made this event a success  for me:

• Community & collaboration are powerful.  The hotseat approach (like a mastermind) gave everyone a chance to benefit from the experience and insight of others. The structured approach and focus gave everyone a chance to share their ideas.
• Simplicity sparks creativity.  In contrast to over-programmed conferences, 
  the slow, simple approach meant we could have deeper conversations and process them in real time, giving new ideas the room they need to develop.
• Introverts are amazing. In the right environment, introverts are generally superstar listeners. This meant advice from fellow attendees was more likely to be useful and relevant. I think we all left with realistic next steps.

The format of this retreat allowed us, as introverts, to contribute (and receive) consistently through the two days we had together.  Conference planners, if you're not allowing time and space for introverts to shine, you're missing out!

Introverts, understanding how you react to different environments, and structuring your time at events so that you get the breaks you need can make the difference between exhausting and exhilarating!

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