Note from the Director of Programming: Tips for first-time ACDIS national conference attendees

by Rebecca Hendren

The ACDIS national conference is almost upon us, and our team is gearing up for a fun, productive, and meaningful few days. I cannot wait to be onsite with everyone.

We have a few new people on our team who recently asked me what the conference is like and what they should expect. It’s been fun talking to them about it and I know we have a lot of first-time attendees—plus those for whom the last time feels like a lifetime ago—so I thought I’d cover the essentials.

Welcome Reception: On Monday, May 2, from 4-7 p.m. we open the Exhibit Hall for a Welcome Reception. This is a fun way to kick-start the conference. While enjoying drinks and light refreshments, you can visit with our exhibitors, meet up with old friends, and have the chance to win lots of fun prizes.

Are you a first-time attendee? At 5 p.m. in the Exhibit Hall, we’ll have a networking event within the larger reception especially for you! Look for a table with a “First-Time Attendee” sign and come and join us. It will be an opportunity to connect with other first-time attendees, get tips and tricks from ACDIS staff, and also meet some of our CDI Boot Camp instructors.

Keynotes: The keynotes are can’t-miss events. You’ll laugh, you’ll be inspired, and you’ll pick up some actionable tips for positive changes in your work and personal life.

Sessions: This is where it pays to prepare in advance because there are five sessions to choose from at any time. Due to all these choices, it’s useful to study the agenda in advance to identify which sessions you want to attend. The agenda is available online now. Next week, we’ll release instructions on how to download the conference app. You can view the agenda in the app and make selections that put your choices in a personalized schedule for you.

Take notes: Bring a notebook, your laptop, a tablet, or however you like to take notes. You will learn a lot. And it will be useful. You can’t possibly remember everything, so come prepared to write it down.

Make friends: This one can be easy to say, but harder to do. But all of us are richer when we have friends and colleagues who support us and who can share advice and experiences. The ACDIS conference is a great place to make new CDI friends and expand your network. It’s a time when everyone around you shares a common interest and everyone is there to talk about it. So, pluck up your courage and ask the person sitting in the next row where they’re from. Sit down at a table at lunch and introduce yourself. You already know that CDI professionals are the kindest, most welcoming, and friendliest people in healthcare. Strike up some conversations and you may find yourself going home with a few new names in your contact list and people you can reach out to.

If anyone has any other tips to share, send them to me at rhendren@acdis.org.

I look forward to seeing many of you in Orlando!

Editor’s note: Hendren is the director of programming for ACDIS, based in Middleton, Massachusetts. Contact her at rhendren@acdis.org.