By: Kelly Smith; Photos by Brooke Dennis and Justin Hackworth for Alt Summit
Yay, Alt Summer is only one day away! We are so excited to see everyone and get the party started, but we imagine that a few of you first-timers are starting to feel the butterflies. Of course, the first thing you should know is that almost everyone coming feels those same butterflies whether they have attended a handful of times or not. So, don’t let that hold you back.
The second thing you should know is that you might want to bring a tote bag or large purse to hold a few key items during the conference. To make it easy, we have compiled a simple starter list for you below of everything we love to carry in ours:
- notebook and pen – for jotting down all the best advice
- business cards – to hand out to all your new friends
- small bag or second notebook + tape – for all the business cards you are collecting. Either toss them in a bag and sort through each night, or tape them right into a notebook with a few notes written off to the side.
- phone + charger
- room for gifts – the sponsors often have small gifts so leave a little extra room!
No need to include:
- water + snacks – there is ice water available in each room of the conference and during the breaks snacks will be served in the sponsor lounges.
- camera – two photographers, Justin + Brooke, will be taking professional photos of everything and everyone and their pictures will be available for your use shortly after the conference concludes. Just make sure you bring one if you are attending a workshop that requires it.
- computer – unless you really prefer taking notes on your computer, you shouldn’t need it. Although, there are a couple workshops that require it this year, so check the schedule for that.
Not staying at the Grand America:
That is not a problem at all. You are welcome to bring a bag with a few extra things like a change of clothing + makeup for the evening parties. You can leave your bag with the bellhop and can use the bathrooms for changing and freshening up!
Are we missing anything? Go ahead and ask questions in the comments below and we will be sure to address them before the conference begins so that you feel the most prepared and can focus on networking, learning new skills, and talking with sponsors.
