PUBLISHER’S CORNER Learn. Network. Content. Share. WRITTEN BY TONY CORPIN |
TONY@STNONLINE.COM R
ecently, I stood on stage for the STN EXPO keynote session featuring Jim “Te Rookie” Morris, presented by Blue Bird, Hendrickson and Roush CleanTech, and I looked out at the
audience of more than 700 attendees, recognizing numer- ous industry friends and business associates, I saw many new faces, too. Our records showed about 42 percent of attendees in
July had never attended the STN EXPO previously. So I took advantage of this opportunity to introduce myself to everyone. Tis introduction drove many great conver- sations with all sorts of people on a variety of topics, both on site and afterwards. I connected with people and created new friend- ships and business relationships. Tis experience gave meaning to why conferences and trade shows exist—to connect with people! According to Harvard Business Review, professional conferences
Tony Corpin, Publisher
conference is traditionally all about personal and career development, networking and the like. But nowadays, you can’t keep all that juicy content to yourself. You’ve got to get the word out and share what you’ve learned with other peers. Learning about new and existing partner companies and the teams behind those innovative products at the trade shows is key. For example, at the recent STN EXPO I experienced innovative products and technologies like mobile data terminals (or tablets), gasoline-powered Type C buses, Wi-Fi routers in buses, transportation software and GPS, video security equipment, A/C systems, LED lighting, seating products, and much more.
After a long couple of days of educational training and trade
are an unavoidable part of working life. Even if you’re an intro- vert who dreads the multi-day extravaganza of breakout talks and cocktail-infused networking sessions, you must resist your impulse to stay home. “Skipping conferences is problematic because you’re missing out on the benefits of networking,” said Francesca Gino, a Harvard Business School professor. “Today, probably even more than ever before, networks are a key form of social capital for achieving goals in both your professional and personal lives.” Meeting people at conferences with similar interests is a good way to nurture and expand your network, added Dorie Clark, au- thor of Stand Out Networking. “Te fact that technology has made it easier to interact with people across great distances and time zones actually makes face-to-face interaction even more valuable.” If you attended the recent STN EXPO in Reno or plan on going to the upcoming NAPT Summit in Kansas City—or any show, for that matter—the event will be an experience that requires your full attention. In about two months, the NAPT Summit once again draws together school transportation professionals from across the country, even the world, to discuss the challenges, solutions and promises of innovation in our industry. Over the course of four days, you’ll have access to keynote speakers, in-depth training courses, and dozens of workshops. Topics range from the latest in specialized transportation to effec- tive department management and everything in between. Tere’s something for everyone involved in pupil transportation. But more on that in next month’s edition. According to the
Inc.com story, “4 Reasons Your Employees
Should Attend Conferences,” the top takeaways should be: Learn. Network. Content. Share. Tis may seem odd, as attending a
66 School Transportation News • SEPTEMBER 2016 CELEBRATING25YEARS
show time, everyone needs to kick back and re-energize a little with some entertainment, food and drink. At the STN EXPO Networking Extravaganza Chrome Celebration presented by 247 Security, Blue Bird, Cummins, IC Bus, Tomas Built Buses and Transfinder, we gave attendees just that. Tis event, like many that our vendors support and host, provides a place for many people to connect with new friends and old ones, too. Do you take every opportunity to participate at this type of networking event at conferences? Tere are many, many reasons to attend networking events.
Here are my top five: • To start relationships that will lead to strategic alliances, informa- tion sharing and collaboration
• To stay current on trends in your industry • To become connected to key influencers in your industry • To learn from and to be motivated by powerful speakers on “hot buttons” topics
• To find companies that offer solutions to your challenges Conferences can be overwhelming with their rush of presen- tations, conversations and potential meet-ups, so attendees need to focus. Whether you attend or send someone, make a plan for bringing back information and sharing it with all the peers who didn’t get to go. Tis step will help you and yours get the very most out of the conference experience. I hope to see you soon at an upcoming conference, or maybe
even at the 2017 STN EXPO, July 8-12 at our new home, the Peppermill Hotel in Reno! ●
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