All-Star Amy Barker Shares Tips for Maximizing your bbcon Experience!

Big thanks to Blackbaud Community All-Star Amy Barker for writing this blog post about maximizing your bbcon experience. Check it out! Do you have any additional tips to add? Leave them below! You can also give it love on LinkedIn... you may even want to tag a colleague to make sure they are well prepared.

Comments

  • Amy Barker
    Amy Barker Community All-Star
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    @Crystal Bruce:

    Big thanks to Blackbaud Community All-Star Amy Barker for writing this blog about maximizing your bbcon experience. Check it out! You can also leave comments or share your tips for making the most out of bbcon 2024 on our LinkedIn page here.

    Thanks Crystal! Hope everyone finds it useful!

  • Keith Wilson
    Keith Wilson Community All-Star
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    @Crystal Bruce @Amy Barker great tips on the Blog post! For some reason I am not able to leave comments on the post itself. I saw a similar list last year before I went to my first “in-person” BBCon and was so glad I took the advice. It was really helpful.

    One comment on the food preferences though, there is not enough KETO friendly meals/snacks for those of us who are Carb-conscious!

  • @Keith Wilson I find it hard to eat gluten free as well.

  • @Crystal Bruce I'd add to sit with someone new at meal time and strike up a conversation. It's amazing the people that you can meet that way and the things you can learn that way!

  • @Crystal Bruce
    I am a big note taker but find I don't actually hear what is being said when I do. I try to just listen and remind myself that there are on demand versions that I can rewatch. If I do take notes, it is one or two words or a time that I know to refer back to.

  • Angela Finley Hunter
    Angela Finley Hunter Community All-Star
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    @Whitney Shelton
    I agree! I love being able to review the sessions on demand.

  • Angela Finley Hunter
    Angela Finley Hunter Community All-Star
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    @Crystal Bruce @Amy Baker

    Amy - I loved your blog! It was so thoughtful. One of the things I like to do at bbcon is sit with someone I don't know and learn more about them and their experience with blackbaud. I truly appreciate you also encouraging rest! It's so important when learning. Thanks for sharing your bbcon experiences and recommendations.

  • Elizabeth Johnson
    Elizabeth Johnson Community All-Star
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    @Crystal Bruce I want to comment on @Amy Barker's blog, and I'm signed in. When I click on it, it takes me to a place where I'm not logged in and when I do log in I go back to my BB Welcome landing page. It is a great blog! Well organized, and wow I would have loved that before my first bbcon! I commented on LinkedIn!

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  • Amy Barker
    Amy Barker Community All-Star
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    @Angela Hunter:

    @Crystal Bruce @Amy Baker

    Amy - I loved your blog! It was so thoughtful. One of the things I like to do at bbcon is sit with someone I don't know and learn more about them and their experience with blackbaud. I truly appreciate you also encouraging rest! It's so important when learning. Thanks for sharing your bbcon experiences and recommendations.

    Thanks, Angela. I like to remind people to rest and hydrate. :) Hope to see you there!

  • Amy Barker
    Amy Barker Community All-Star
    Kudos 5 Third Anniversary August 2025 Monthly Challenge Badge Name Dropper

    @Keith Wilson:

    @Crystal Bruce @Amy Barker great tips on the Blog post! For some reason I am not able to leave comments on the post itself. I saw a similar list last year before I went to my first “in-person” BBCon and was so glad I took the advice. It was really helpful.

    One comment on the food preferences though, there is not enough KETO friendly meals/snacks for those of us who are Carb-conscious!

    Good point, Keith! I would definitely put that recommendation in for food preferences. I always carry some sort of extra vegan snack, just in case, though this time I'm not too worried as Seattle is VERY friendly to my diet so it will be easy to pop out and grab sustenance if needed! Use that meal preference field. Blackbaud is awfully good at paying attention to it.

  • Amy Barker
    Amy Barker Community All-Star
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    @Christine Robertson:

    @Crystal Bruce I'd add to sit with someone new at meal time and strike up a conversation. It's amazing the people that you can meet that way and the things you can learn that way!

    Great tip! And a great way to meet new connections.

  • Keith Wilson
    Keith Wilson Community All-Star
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    @Elizabeth Johnson That's the same issue I was having!

  • Miki Martin
    Miki Martin Community All-Star
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    @Crystal Bruce these are some great pointers! Thanks to a similar list last year, I knew to also bring a light sweater. I tend to be cold and convention centers can run a bit chilly so it was so nice to have an extra layer I could throw on when necessary.

    I also made it a habit to sit with someone I did not know, whether it was in a session or at a meal. It was a challenge, being super shy, but so many people there don't know anyone either so that helped.

  • @Crystal Bruce Amy, great tips for bbcon and, really, any conference. Along with comfortable shoes, is dressing in layers like @Miki Martin mentioned. After walking from one end of a convention center to the other, you warm up and then end up in a frigid breakout room. Layers are key.

  • @Amy Barker Super helpful reminder to take breaks - folks may be tempted to try to pack their schedule to the brim, but that can get overwhelming and may end up missing impromptu conversationa that can actually be very insightful.

    Excited to see you in Seattle!

  • @Amy Barker I appreciate the tip about writing down notes from a conversation with someone you meet at BBCON so that when you get back, you can follow up (or even to remember the conversation)!

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