How to get the Most out of Attending a Conference

How to get the Most out of Attending a Conference

Tiffany Henderson with Amanda Scott

Twinkle Star Dance

As a dance teacher or studio owner, there are minimal opportunities throughout the season to foster your growth as a dance educator. However, as we approach the summer months (when most dance studios are running limited class hours) there are conferences geared towards dance teachers to rekindle your passion for dance, working with children, and teaching!

Every August, we host over 200 attendees for the Twinkle Star Dance Annual Conference. Over three packed days of dance movement and business classes we present new and exciting ideas to streamline your dance studio business and increase your profit. We love connecting with our attendees during the weekend and always return to the studio refreshed and inspired.

Whether it is your first conference with us or you join us every year, there is always fresh class content and cutting edge systems. Although attending a live event can be intimidating for some, we’ve put together a short checklist to insure your success!

Here are five tips to get the most out of attending a conference:

1. Meet everyone you can - Network, network, network. Connect with dance teachers, studio owners, and industry experts at the event. If you’re not sure where to begin, simply ask them what their name is and what their favorite style of dance is to teach. Close the conversation by asking if they would like to stay in touch in the future.

2. Get exposure to new companies and systems. We only invite our vetted industry partners to attend our conference and encourage attendees to ask questions and familiarize themselves with new systems that make their jobs easier during sessions and .

3. Learn how to improve your business and teaching style. Conference sessions, especially those that reference case studies, offer actionable ideas to improve your business. We encourage you to sit as close to the front of the room as possible to stay engaged in the material and ask questions.

4. Make the lessons you learn actionable. It’s easy to waste money on live events if you don’t have a goal in mind. Before you attend a conference make a list of things you want to improve in the new dance season. These can be both personal (more time with family, make 5 new connections) and professional (reach 250 students, hire a full-time administrator or teacher). As you attend sessions and speak with vendors, keep your goals in mind and make a plan for achieving your goals before leaving the weekend.  
   
   
5. Set new goals based on what you learned at the event. One of the reasons dance teacher conferences are so beneficial is the opportunity to learn about new topics and subjects. For example, how and why to create a Holiday show for your students. When you hear mention of something new at events, set a task for yourself to learn more about this topic.

Ready to make the most out of attending a conference? Join us for the Twinkle Star Dance Annual Conference August 17-19 in New Orleans. Register by Friday, April 13 with promo code EVENT40 and Save $40 in conference fees.