Conference tips
Do you have some ideas on how to thrive at ACL's conference? Click on "Edit this Page" (on the left, under "Current Page") to add your suggestions. Please start each entry with an * (asterisk).
- Don't be afraid to "invade" a table of people you don't know at meal time. One of the easiest ways to get acquainted is over food!
This is a great idea! I try to sit with someone different for
each meal. It's great to see old friends but I also like to
meet new ones. Alice
- If I drive to conference there are a couple of items I toss in the car.
- I take a 6-12 inch table fan. It is marvelous as white noise to keep the late night hall conversations from filtering in the room and keeping me awake. Also, dorms are shut up for a few weeks and the air tends to be stale. A fan will help that.
- I also take a florescent car trouble light (Sears or Wal-Mart.) It will hang on the head of the bed to provide you a lamp for reading and so you can get into bed without tripping. It also provides a safe extension cord for a radio, clock or other items.
- At my first conference, I felt that I did not know anyone but I was amazed how willing everyone was to "make room" for me at their tables, in their conversations and, eventually, in their lives. Don't hesitate. Introduce yourself.
Don
- If you are staying in the dorms, you may want to take additional washcloths. I've always found that they don't give you enough in your linen packets. I don't know how large the pillows are this year, but one year, they were about the size of postage stamps and a number of us went and bought a pillow at Wal-Mart, so if you are driving, you may want to bring one of those as well. Lori
- items I take with me are a highlighter pen and sunscreen. Tami
- Especially in the older dorms an extension cord helps. You never know where the plugs are going to be in relation to a mirror. Joy