5 Tips To Get The Most Out Of A McLeod Conference
Attending any type of conference can be a huge investment of finances and time, but many agree the payoff in knowledge gained is worth it. Navigating a huge conference schedule and location can be a daunting experience when there are so many interesting and informative sessions, but not enough time to attend them all. Then add in a couple of stops to visit key booths at the tradeshow to the “To-Do-List” and you might not get through everything you planned.
The McLeod User Conference, like many others, has a full schedule for attendees to reap the most during their time. Here are a few tips to make it all manageable so that you gain the most information to take back to your company.
- Choose your sessions in advance: There is a full schedule of breakout sessions specifically for Carriers or Brokers to learn more about maximizing the use of the McLeod software. Choose them in advance so you don’t waste time making decisions while everyone else is getting the best seat.
- Attend the Keynote Speaker sessions: The conference gets into full swing on Sept. 15 with the opening session along with the full cadre of breakout sessions covering a variety of topics. The keynote speaker during the General Session on Sept. 15 is former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Then on Sept. 16, Phil Byrd, current chairman of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and president of President and CEO of Bulldog Hiway Express, will address the audience during the general session. Plan to attend these to get an overview of industry specifics and news.
- Learn from the Experts: Here’s what a few previous attendees had to say about the McLeod User Conference:
- “A wealth of information here…” –Bob Pemberton, Pemberton Truck Lines
- “Getting to interact in the classroom or in sessions with their peers and everything that we can take away, we can apply back at the shop or the office to make our companies stronger.” – Rob Bowman, R+L Truckload
- “You’ll hear someone using it and you might approach them and say, ‘Hey! I heard you say this …I have the exact same issue…what did you do to resolve that.’” – Paul Moore, Nationwide Transportation
- “The McLeod group of customers, more than any other group I’ve been a part of, is more open to sharing ideas of how they use the software.” – Dwight Bassett, Boyd Brothers
- “If you are using McLeod, you have to come to the conferences just so you can know exactly what the best practices are, how to utilize the software to make sure you’re using it in the best way to make your business grow in an efficient manner, learn what other people are doing and see what’s in store for the software releases to come.” – Zak Mattocks, FedEx
- Attend Trainings: The free 1-hour training modules with McLeod staff using any version of software is a popular feature of the conference. McLeod Software will also offer a number of software training breakout sessions that will provide instruction on various parts of your software.
- Do A Product Preview: The McLeod User Conference Tradeshow features over 50 vendors and partners from the transportation industry whose products integrate and interface with McLeod Software. Make sure to visit iGlobal, LLC at Booth #401.
It’s important to plan ahead to get the most out of your time at a conference. Talk to others to learn what works best for them during a conference to make sure you are well prepared! How about sharing a tip of your own that works for you while attending a conference? Connect with us on Twitter or Facebook and visit us at Booth #401 during the McLeod Software User Conference Sept. 14-16, 2014 in Washington, D.C.
