What to Expect at ILTA 2012

The International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) conference is a peer networking organization for legal technology professionals.

The annual ILTA conference runs for six days and features nearly 200 educational sessions, countless networking opportunities, and plenty of product demonstrations.

Attendees include IT personnel, CIOs, CTOs and a wide range of other legal professionals and technology experts.

To help plan out your conference schedule, here are 12 Tips to hopefully make your ILTA experience more enjoyable and productive.

1) Don’t spend the entire conference in a session room. There is a wealth of information in the exhibit hall as well. If you have an spare hour between sessions, spend it in the exhibit hall or a demo room.

2) Don’t be afraid to ask questions. There will be an Ask ILTA booth near the registration desk. Also look to ILTA volunteers like city reps and peer group members, who will have volunteer ribbons below their name tags, for questions you may have.

3) Double and triple book yourself. There may be a session you really want to attend, but chances are it will be very popular. If the session is full, have a second and sometimes third option. This will save you time reviewing the schedule.

4) Download the ILTA Conference app for smartphones and tablets. The conference app provides a wealth of information including the session list, room numbers, vendor demo rooms and a calendar to build your agenda – and you can even fill out your session evaluations through the app. There is an interactive exhibit hall map and a directory of all conference attendees.

5) Plan to attend the Conference Orientation meeting on Sunday night. Here you will be introduced to the conference co-chairs, meet other attendees and have some questions answered.

6) It is perfectly OK to leave a session early and attend a different session. If you do leave, please be polite.

7) Leave the MiFi card in your room. They won’t work in session rooms and there will be separate Wi-Fi access for your smartphone, tablet or laptop.

8) Set mobile phones to silent or vibrate. If you must take a call, please excuse yourself before continuing the conversation.

9) Take a stack of business cards. This may seem like a no-brainier, but it’s easy to forget. Vendors will ask for your card and so will your new friends.

10) Take preprinted shipping labels. You will likely collect a lot of materials from vendors and sessions. It is easier to ship them back than to try and pack them and keep your luggage under the airline weight limits.

11) Treat your badge and meal tickets like cash. Your name badge gains you access to all of the sessions and social events. If you leave it in your room you won’t get in. Same goes with your meal tickets; they are required at each meal.

12) Wear comfortable clothing. Most attendees will dress business casual, while others will dress up. You may consider bringing along a sweater or light jacket in case the rooms are cold.

Don’t forget to visit us at booth #418 for an exclusive preview of our newest product release and learn how Firmex can support legal professionals. Contact sales to book a personal demo.

Content courtesy of Brice Duffy.

Debbie Stephenson

Debbie Stephenson is a former Content Marketing Manager at Firmex.