20 Conference Essentials: A packing list!

Hello everyone!

Today I bring to you a Conference Essentials packing list!

After attending and blogging for the recent conference in Boston, I decided to come up with a packing list to help you prepare for a conference or meeting, for whatever topic it may be, scientific, educational, blogging, etc.! 

I decided to check my bag, so I could fit all of this in a big bag, but you can always scale down for a carry on bag!

Toiletries: 

I decided to buy a lot of travel sized goods, such as toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, body wash, and face wash! I also bought some makeup remover pads from Target, as they were super easy to use and remove all of my day's makeup with one wipe! I originally forgot my toothbrush so I had to stop at CVS to get a new one. If I had this list when I packed I probably would have remembered it!

Business-wear:

I decided to bring two different blazers, two different colors so I could match with multiple outfits. I had a navy blue and a black one. This made it super easy to create 5 different outfits using combinations with my dress pants and skirts! I also brought some simple solid color tank tops, in black and white. I wore them under the blazers, so it was simple, and would match well with any statement necklace I decided to wear! A statement necklace was great because it was stylish and brought some nice color to my outfits! Dress pants and fitted skirts are great for conferences, because they look professional and super stylish! I found a really cute fitted skirt at Ross (like TJ Maxx), and it was such a great buy! Comfortable shoes are also a must! If you will be walking around all day, attending talks, going to networking sessions, you want to make sure your feet aren't killing you! I know I regretted wearing a certain pair of heels after a long day of walking around the conference!

Blogger Essentials:

What to bring when you are a blogger? I brought my Nikon camera to the conference with my every day, so I could snap some photos whenever I needed! I also packed my tripod with me, not to bring to the actual conference but so I could take photos of my outfits when I needed. Also need to bring all the camera accessories (lenses, battery, memory card, etc.). One of the most important things you can bring are your chargers!!! If you have an iPhone or any USB charged device, I wouldn't leave home without a portable battery USB charger, even if you think your phone battery can last all day. You never know where you might stay out later than anticipated and then your phone is suddenly dying! Definitely look at amazon, they have some good deals! Also your laptop or tablet may come in handy, I bought both, mainly because I knew I would be having to blog and do some other work and I would need my computer. The tablet I brought to take notes at the various sessions I attended! Last but not least in this section, are Business cards! When you will be meeting a lot of different people, be sure to have some business cards with your contact information on them, because believe me, you won't remember the names of everyone you meet and they won't always remember your name!

Hair/Makeup essentials:

To minimize the amount of makeup I was bringing (believe me, I have A LOT of makeup), I decided to only bring one versatile makeup palette, that I could use to create a lot of different looks! I brought my Naked2 palette, as I knew I could make simple, professional looks! Really, any of the Urban Decay palettes would be good for this, any of the Naked or Vice palettes. Then the usual liners, cover ups, etc. are always necessities. A hair dryer is important, because hotels will have hair dryers but I always prefer my own. And lastly, a hair straightener and/or curling iron, depending on your hair. Extra points if you have a hair straightener that also curls (like the one I brought, super handy!)

At the Conference: 

Lastly, what to bring with you to the actual conference. I brought a big black tote bag, that I could fit so many things in. Every day I would bring my camera, chargers, laptop on days I knew I would have downtime to do work in between sessions, my tablet to take notes, among other things! It's nice to also bring a paper notebook and pen, incase your tablet/laptop dies, you have a back up! You never know when a piece of paper or pen will come in handy! A water bottle to keep hydrated is also important! Make sure you are hydrated as you are running around! Small snacks are also good to give you energy in between meals!

This list is not exhaustive, but I think I have listed the major things I would bring! Feel free to screen shot this/save it so the next time you are going to a conference of any kind (this can be applied to any kind of meeting or conference), you can more easily pack! Now I wish I had this packing list when I was going to the conference! 

Is there anything important that I missed? Do let me know in the comments below!

xo

Andrea