As 2012 beckons, odds are that somewhere on the calendar will be an off-site conference for you to attend. During their careers, claim professionals will likely attend many business conferences and meetings. These may be training programs customized just for the employees of a particular insurer or third-party administrator (TPA). They could be industry events, such as local or state claim conventions. On a national scale, claims professionals can choose among the ACE Conference, RIMS, PLRB, and the like. Additionally, legal groups—such as Defense Research Institute, American Law Firm Association, and the International Legal Network—as well as defense law firms host events and symposia about legal developments and topics germane to claim professionals. Further, continuing education may even be part of the adjuster’s goals and professional development plan.

While climbing the corporate claims ladder, the opportunity to attend conferences may increase. Companies have invested in seasoned individuals. Plus, it helps to have company leadership set an example in terms of professional growth and development. While budget constraints are an ever-present reality, so is the attending of conferences.

Without forethought and planning, though, this time investment can be a wasted opportunity. Checking in, picking up a name tag and registration packet can put some in an unwarranted “holiday” mood. Many claims professionals may not extract the most value from conferences and off-site meetings. To address that problem, here are 10 tips:

1. Prepare. Review the sessions and tracks, mapping out the specific courses you would like to attend. Before departing for your trip, be sure to scan the conference agenda, selecting the sessions that will deliver maximum value. This is especially important if there are concurrent sessions. Look for sessions with topics that correlate with the type of claims you typically handle.
2. Arrive early to snag a good seat. Contrary to the “fashionably late” theory, dawdling attendees may be relegated to the back of the room or stand throughout the duration of the class. Having a few minutes to spare before the session begins will allow you to network and introduce yourself to the person to your left and to your right.
3. Take detailed notes. Capture those valuable “nuggets” that will serve your job and company well long after the conference ends. The scope of notes may resemble the following: resources to explore, ideas and projects triggered, and people with whom to connect and follow up. Additionally, taking notes keeps your “head in the game” by engaging more than one of your senses.
4. Collect those handouts. When you return to the hotel room, cull through the handouts marked as “keepers,” and those with less relevance or usefulness.
5. Pack business cards. If you connect with a potential client or business partner during a reception, breakout session, or lunch, then you will want to be able to exchange business cards.
6. Keep a running written list of “action items” during the conference to facilitate a game plan upon returning to the office. When you get back to the daily grind, follow up; designate a specific day (not necessarily your first day back) to review the action item list. Transfer each action item onto your daily task list or, if you use MS Outlook, your list of future calendared tasks.
7. Use breaks to network. Avoid the temptation to scan phone messages, place calls, and check email. Those tasks can be handled virtually anywhere. However, this golden opportunity to confer face-to-face with other claims professionals is fleeting. Use breaks to meet people, exchange business cards, chat up new acquaintances, or reconnect with existing contacts.
8. Pace yourself. Manage your, ahem, “nocturnal activities.” This means to be sensible and realistic about your diet, alcohol consumption, and sleep requirements.
9. Build in a “recovery day.” The first day back is not “just another work day.” There will be backlogged emails to which you will respond, along with extra paperwork to address, decisions to make, and so on. For all of your self-discipline and planning, you will be playing “catch-up.” Minimize certain commitments, such as meetings and conference calls on your first day back. Build in some time to catch up. Remember this caveat: bosses and clients take precedence over this “recovery day” preference. So if the boss (or a client) wants you in a meeting or a conference call first thing in the morning on the day you return from a conference (or a vacation), then just suck it up and do it.
10. Draft a one-page memo of take-aways from the conference. Share a copy with the boss and co-workers. Do this, even if your boss has not asked you to do so. It shows initiative.

Many conferences are annual events. If the conference is valuable, and you want to attend again, then check the dates for next year’s event. Mark those dates on the calendar. Also, factor in conference expenses when drafting next year’s budget. Get it in the request hopper to boost the odds that you can attend again.