Hi all! My biggest tip is to attend something outside your comfort zone/silo. Work in exhibits? Go check out something related to floor volunteers. Education? Try something related to memberships. Are you at a large institution? See how small organizations deal with their unique problems. Museum leadership? See what some of the concerns are that floor staff have. The advantage of a big conference like ASTC is you can learn about things you don't normally have a chance to. These have been some of the most useful ones I've ever attended as they help me understand issues from a viewpoint I haven't considered before. So squeeze in a session you might not otherwise consider attending!
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Timothy Rhue II
Principal Informal Education Specialist
NASA's Universe of Learning, Baltimore MD
NASA's Universe of Learning
he/him/his
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2023 13:49
From: Melissa Reynolds
Subject: Welcome to the ASTC 2023 Conference.
These are all great tips!!! My recommendation is to bring a spare mobile device charger - the conference app will be useful and folks may use QR codes/other links to interact during sessions or in the Exhibit Hall. There are opportunities from morning through the evening each day of conference, so pausing to charge your phone can sometimes be a challenge.
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Melissa Reynolds
Manager of Strategic Initiatives
Carnegie Science Center
Pittsburgh PA
Original Message:
Sent: 08-09-2023 16:00
From: Daniel Bateman
Subject: Welcome to the ASTC 2023 Conference.
Welcome to the ASTC 2023 Annual Conference Community! We encourage you to use the community to connect with your fellow attendees – ask questions, get advice, start a running group, find a roommate, or even begin to develop session proposal ideas for 2024!
Let's get the conversation started! We had so much fun in Pittsburgh last year and this year we are aiming to "engage" in a great time as well.
What's your favorite "conference attendee" tip? Comfy shoes (all that walking!), bring a water bottle and hand sanitizer? Mine is to use my badge holder as a business card holder – that way you always have them handy, and you are not searching through your bag! Share your tip – just click "reply to group" to respond in this thread.
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Daniel W. Bateman
Conference and Community Coordinator
ASTC
Washington DC
dbateman@astc.org
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