But what to wear? Conference Attire De-Mystified.

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The question: Today’s question comes from Poppy Dinsey (@PoppyD) in London:  Still not sure what to pack for #icny. Maybe @gingerw can advise? I have no idea how RE folk dress for conferences!

#wwgwd?

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My initial response back to Poppy was, “I usually strive to dress better than most RE folk at conferences.”  Packing for New York is quite an adventure for a California girl- we dress differently out west.  It is not so easy to look hot when it is freezing cold.

Today I will be busy trying on 75 different outfits and packing for my adventure.  This is how my packing begins:

Step 1- Throw all possible outfits on the bed.

Step 2- Try them on.

Step 3- Select winning outfits including shoes and enter the details in the trusty packing spreadsheet. YES, I do really create a packing spreadsheet (my inner geek).  Every good trip must have a complete spreadsheet, otherwise you inevitably forget the underwear and phone charger.

Step 4- Identify outfits/accessories you might need and make a list of any items that might need to be purchased or borrowed- you always need to buy something.

Step 5- This step is often the trickiest step- Fold and pack and fit it all in.  Don’t forget to leave a little room for any purchases you might make on the trip.

How to Dress for a Conference?

Traditional Conference- Women should plan to wear a nice dress or suit, men should wear a suit or dress pants and nice blazer.

Blogger/Social Media- Depends on the location.  If the event is at a nice hotel or convention center, slacks are a good idea.  At more casual venues, jeans are typically ok, unless you are speaking.  Speakers should always dress a notch up!

BarCamp- BarCamps are super casual, attendee driven events.  Jeans are a-ok!

Other tips:

• Conference rooms can seem cold when you are in a warm location like Las Vegas, but very warm when you are in a locale like New York in January.  Always dress in layers!
• Sweatshirts are always a no-no- even if they give you one with the conference name on it.  Repeat, sweatshirts =bad
• Tennis shoes should be reserved for sightseeing.  Repeat, tennis shoes and conferences don’t mix.
• When in doubt, overdress.

What about Post Conference Evening Attire?

Post conference evening attire often varies depending on the type of conference and where the event is located.

• Dining with big shots from the conference?  You may want to stay in your business attire.  Often this is the easiest plan of action and saves packing space.
• Heading out on the town or going to a fun club with the group?  A change may be in order, just don’t forget that you work with these people.
• Wear a decent pair of shoes!  When I say decent, I don’t mean comfortable.  That is always a bonus, of course, but make sure you have a decent pair of shoes!  Many restaurants/clubs may not let you in if you have tennis shoes. Reminder, save your tennis shoes for sightseeing.

And to very specifically answering Poppy’s question, here is my packing plan for the Inman Connect conference in a nutshell:

• Barcamp- jeans
• Blogger Connect- slacks/sweater
• Main Conference- suit for when I speak, dress on second day
• Evening- jeans/slacks & cute tops or skirts with boots.  It may be cold but I still want to dress cute!
• Nice warm coat
• Wool socks
• Gloves
• Tights
• Lots of layers and wool.

And that is what Ginger would do!