Many people have asked me about where to find easy-on-the-wallet continuing education events. This is a worthwhile quest regardless of your industry experience or professional credential status, so following are my suggestions specifically related to virtual endeavors.

Sources

Below are examples of sources through which I have attended complimentary webinars. Your card issuer is another potential avenue, as some routinely schedule free webinars for clients. I have had the pleasure of fulfilling the speaker role for many such events.

In addition, AP Now offers a couple different options. If you participate in their research, you are invited to attend the related webinar. They also have an annual webinar pass available for purchase. Paying for relevant education can be worth it, especially when you know the source delivers good quality content.

Suggestions

Most free webinars are sponsored by an industry provider. You might hear a sales pitch, even if this is not the intent of the event host. If it happens, view the pitch as an opportunity because it, too, can be educational.
Share key points from a webinar with your management and note how you can apply the information to benefit your organization.
Strive to attend a webinar every month to broaden your knowledge. While job demands can pull us in multiple directions, taking 60 minutes for professional development is time well spent.

Take the plunge to explore cost effective educational events.

If You Hold a Professional Credential...

Be familiar with the requirements for credential renewal, so you can look for eligible continuing education events. However, do not automatically skip something if it does not qualify. If it interests you, go for it.
Track what you have completed on an ongoing basis, so you do not need to scramble as your credential expiration draws near.

Related Resource

Separate yourself from the crowd, a January blog post about strengthening your professional biography

About the Author

Blog post author Lynn Larson, CPCP, is the founder of Recharged Education. With more than 15 years of Commercial Card experience, her mission is to make industry education readily accessible to all. Learn more…

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Plan ahead to get the most out of conference networking and educational opportunities. Everyone, including road warrior exhibitors, can benefit from some extra forethought. Motivated attendees can gain something from every conference no matter what the agenda.

Why are You Going?

Answer this question before you even register. Identify your greatest job challenges and/or areas of interest. Plan to attend the sessions that will likely benefit you the most. Review the conference program in advance, if available. If the reason you are going is “my boss told me I have to go,” this leads to the next point.

What are Your Employer’s Expectations?

Be clear about this before you go to avoid disappointing your management team when you return. Will you need to provide:

a summary of your conference experience?
possible solutions for a problem or new initiative?
exhibitor information and any related materials?
business cards from certain organizations?

Also, what are their expectations about your connectivity to the office while away? Ideally, since they are paying for you to attend, they will encourage you to not be distracted by email.

Plan for Effective Networking

Sometimes it can be awkward to mingle and network, especially when you do not know anyone, so have some questions ready. Keep your job challenges and interests in mind. Conversation starters include:

Do you have a solution for _____?
Do you know anyone who could help with ____?
What did you think of the keynote speaker?
Did you attend ______ session? I really liked the tip about _______. Have you tried that?

Resist the urge to keep your phone in hand. For all the good mobile devices have done, they are a crutch when it comes to networking.

“We know that people are less open in conversations if the other conversant puts a cell phone on the table. Even if it’s turned off. The sign is enough to close the mind…”

— Douglas Rushkoff

Unplug from what is happening in the office; get energized at a conference.

A Conference is What You Make of It

As attendees, we cannot control the conference agenda, speakers, venue, food, etc., but we can control our response to these elements, even when something is not ideal for us. Each attendee has the opportunity to:

acquire actionable tips
gain new industry knowledge
share expertise to help others
be inspired
make meaningful professional connections

Take full advantage while there. After all, how often can we do all these things within the span of a few days in the office?

If a certain round of breakout sessions does not include anything directly related to your goals, consider other options. Attend a session on a topic you know nothing about to learn something new. Go have coffee with a new connection. Visit exhibit booths if applicable. As a last resort, use that hour to catch up on email, so you can focus on the conference the rest of the day.

Two Tips from Others

From Scott Belsky, 5 Tips for Making the Most of a Conference: Distill every talk down to one key takeaway. After each presentation, ask yourself what struck you, what did you learn? What is worth additional consideration upon your return to real life?

From Bill Lampton, Ph.D., Top 10 Tips for Attending a Conference: Become an active participant, asking questions and making comments. The topics will take on new life for you.

Nothing beats preparation, but also be flexible once you are onsite. You might be presented with a great opportunity that was not in your original plans. I’m looking forward to attending the NAPCP conference next week in San Antonio. It will be the first time since 2003 that I simply attend, versus work at, the conference. I hope to see you there!