LPA National Conference 2008 Report (The conclusion)

I feel like I'm on the same track as "No, Seriously, I Really, Really, Know What You Did Last Summer." This post is meant to help the 2009 first time conference attendees. I'm not going to call them "tips" as it makes me sound like an expert which I by no means am. These are just things I learned and/or will do next time I go. So with out further adieu...

1. Give yourself time to register and explore. We registered right before we attended a workshop and didn't feel like we had time to catch our breath and figure out what was where.
2. If they offer a tour of the facility - TAKE IT! Dan and I wasted hours, yes hours, navigating the maze they call the Renaissance Center. We had to go down a floor to go up and up to go down. It was exhausting! I'm sure the tour would have helped us get our bearings.
3. Take advantage of the workshops. They are free! We attended the Family Reception, the Newcomers Reception, the Orthepedic II medical workshop, the Diagnosis Specific: Achondroplasia and Hypochondroplasia workshop, the Parent Meeting. Dan attened the Guys Only meeting in which a panel discussed issues relating to gender and dwarfism (they had a female only also). I wish I would have attended the General Meeting because they go over some specific Conference Information.
4. Go to the fun stuff! My mom and I went to the talent show which was a blast. I wish I would have gone to the Casino and another dance. As I mentioned in my last post, the banquet was great too!
5. Spend some time at the DAAA games. It was the highlight of the week for us. Despite working at the arena that houses the Pistons and Shock, I haven't seen a live basketball game for, like, a year. It was fun to watch everyone compete and I met a ton of parents. I can't wait until Owen can start. My only regret is that we didn't make an entire day of it and were only there for a few hours.
6. First timers - apply for the Kitchen Scholarship! Yeah, you can get money to go to conference! I completely missed it and I was SO BUMMED when Catie, Sarah and Tonya all walked away with checks. Aarrrggg...
7. Prepare questions for the workshops ahead of time, especially the medical workshops. Dan and I didn't write down specific questions (even though we had some) and ended up forgetting to ask some important things.
8. If you go to the banquet, sign up for a table before going to the dinner. We registered for the banquet, but didn't realize you had to sign up to sit at a specific table. We ended up getting a table, but it would have been nice to sit with some of the families we became familiar with throughout the week.
9. Make "business cards". My husband actually said to me before we left, "You should make cards with your blog address on it." In hindsight, that would have been a brilliant idea! Next year I will make a card with all my "stats" on it (name, location, Owen's age & diagnosis, blog address, email address, picture) and people could contact me.
10. If every single person who's going to conference doesn't read this and take the above suggestion (which I highly suspect is what will happen), bring a small notebook and pen so you can write down other's information. There are so many people I met whose info I didn't get simply because I had no means of organizing it. Thre are some people I would have loved to stay in contact with.

That's all I've got. Tonya, Catie and Sarah if you get a minute, you should share your suggestions too. I'm sure you all have different tips to help. I hope I don't sound like I'm trying to be a Conference Know-it-all! Hopefully, the next year attendees can benefit from our experience!