NEHA > 2008 AEC > Plan Your Conference

Attending the NEHA AEC & Exhibition is a great way for environmental health professionals to learn, expand their network, and stay up-to-date on issues facing the industry. Planning your conference experience helps to ensure that you maximize both your education and the contacts you need to meet. Take the time to plan your conference utilizing neha.org and the conference brochure.

Before the Conference
Plan your sessions ahead. Think about the things you want to walk away with from the AEC. In addition to thinking about the sessions you want to attend, determine and set your goals and objectives. Answer the following questions:

• Why am I attending?
• Who am I looking to meet?
• What do I want to learn?
• HOW do I want to learn? Remember, at this year’s AEC, you get to choose how you want your education delivered by selecting from sessions at the Lecture Hall and/or the Learning Laboratory.
• What tools and services do I need to help me do my job better? This year’s AEC also brings you prime opportunities to meet the companies you’d like to get educated about by attending the Exhibition and the NEW Exhibitor Education Forum (EEF).
• When do I want to be at the Lecture Hall and when do I want to be at the Learning Laboratory? There is no conference headquarters this year because both campuses (the Hilton and the Westin) will have events and activities going on. You really can’t go wrong with staying at either resort!

During the Conference
Learn at the Exhibition and the Exhibitor Education Forum. The companies that exhibit at the AEC are those that have the tools, products, services, and information you seek as an environmental health professional. They have expertise in the industry and they can be a partner in your efforts. In addition, don’t miss the opportunity to participate in the Exhibitor Education Forum, where you’ll learn from exhibitors in a more intimate, small-group setting. Visit neha.org to see what Exhibitors have planned during this time,
and when you can meet with them. Also, be sure to take part in the Grand Opening Party, and visit with these companies during exhibit hall hours.

Network. Take time to meet people on the shuttles, during breaks between sessions, at breakfast, lunch and dinner, at the poster session, and of course, throughout all of the sessions. The Learning Laboratory will be particularly helpful in meeting people because you’ll be taking part in interactive sessions and sharing your knowledge with one another.

Relax. Take time to digest all that you’ve learned. Go over your notes and materials while the ideas are still fresh in your mind. There will be shuttles offering quiet time, so you can take time to organize your thoughts. (But if you want to keep on learning, then climb aboard a shuttle with planned educational activities.)

Back to Top

After the Conference
Report your experiences. Share what you learned at the conference with your colleagues - lessons learned, “Ah ha’s”, products and services to invest in, and other useful knowledge for your team.

Follow up. Build your network. Touch base with all of the people you met by dropping them an e-mail, making a phone call, and sending any information you promised. The sooner you follow up after the conference, the better.

Implement the new knowledge you have gained.  When you get back to your workplace, begin implementing the new knowledge you've gained from the conference by utilizing the best practices, cutting-edge ideas, and useful tools in your own organization.

Register Now!