By Megan Hoying
You buy a ticket, arrive on time, get a good seat and listen to the advice of a seasoned professional. Is that all? Going to speaking events can be a great way to get advice from people who have made it professionally, and listening to their talking points can be a great help. However, simply going and listening means you’re missing out on so many great opportunities!
Here are some ideas for getting the most out of Alan VanderMolen’s speaking event:
Do your homework. Make sure you are informed about the event before you attend it. Don’t know anything about Edelman or what a CEO of Global Practices does? Find out! A little Googling beforehand will put you in the loop so you can focus on what Alan is trying to say instead of getting hung up on the details.
Live tweet the event. If you love Twitter, why not use it to your advantage? During the event, connect with others.
Tweet @AlanVanderMolen or @OhioStatePRSSA
Use the hashtags #osuvandermolen and #OSUPR
Tweet your comments, quotes from the speaker you feel are significant or any questions you have during the event. Live tweeting helps you retain the information you’re learning and lets you interact with Alan, PRSSA and everyone else following the hashtags. Retweeting or replying to others’ tweets is also a great digital networking tool.
Network. We’ve all heard it: networking is important, especially with today’s job market. Everyone at the Nov. 7 event will be there because they’re interested in Alan VanderMolen and the topics he’ll discuss. Take advantage of that! Since you’re already there, take the time to introduce yourself to a few of your neighbors. The speech you just listened to could be a great icebreaker. The event will include area professionals as well as students from various universities in Central Ohio. You never know where your next opportunity may come from, so take initiative and be prepared.
I hope these suggestions will help make the Alan VanderMolen event a great experience. Make sure you RSVP as soon as possible to reserve your seat!
This blog was originally posted on the Ohio State PRactice blog.
Ohio State PRSSA 
Reblogged this on Paige's Perspective and commented:
Check out this great event going with Ohio State’s PRSSA!