Here are some tips to get more out of seminars and meeting.

1) Sit Near The Front

You won’t be distracted by the people in front of you and will pay more attention to the speaker. You will also have a better chance to talk to the speaker afterwards and have your question answered.

2) Ask A Question

Go to a talk with some questions in mind that you’d like answered. You can gather the information you want while the speaker is speaking and can easily follow up if all of your questions are not covered in the talk. It calls attention to you in the crowd.

3) Take Notes

Always carry a pencil and something to write on. Even if the speaker is dull, many times you will come up with an idea because you’re focusing on the topic. And, by writing ideas and thoughts down, you will be more likely to remember them.

4) Consolidate And Share

After the conference, go through your notes and write down the most relevant information you learned. Sometimes this might be specific technical information. Other times it might be more general ideas for new ways of doing things. Put highlights that you’ve obtained from the conference into a memo that you share with other people in your company. Or make it a company policy that anyone who attends a conference or seminar gives a “brown bag” lunch or other informal presentation. This both reinforces what has been learned and gives other employees some exposure to the new ideas or information.

5) Improve Your Networking

Drop brief notes to speakers you particularly enjoyed or other people that you met. Follow through on any business cards you’ve taken.

6) Evaluate The Seminar

Develop an evaluation form. Require that everyone returning from a conference or seminar fill out the form. It’s useful to have the historical data when it comes time to make decisions about which are the most valuable and is a way to easily share the information across departments in large companies.