Conferences can be very overwhelming if you are not organized. Having a good plan of action and easy access to your plan at anytime can make your conference experience a good one. I use Evernote to keep track of everything I need for any conference, but any note program that you can access on any of your devices will also work.

From the moment I first hear about a conference until I am done with writing thank you notes after the conference, I put it all in Evernote because I will have access from my iMac, MacBook, PC laptop, iPhone and iPad both online and offline.

Here are 13 examples of what I add for each conference I attend.

1. Travel Arrangements. Forward copies of my hotel and transportation details including shuttle and/or taxi information.
2. Conference Schedule. The official schedule put out by the conference and my own schedule of appointments I have set up during the conference.
3. Speaker’s Session Notes. Many speakers will write detailed blog posts to promote their sessions. These are great to have handy at the conference when deciding which session to attend. I try to decide before I leave, but inevitably, I change my mind.
4. Speaker Bios. I research the speakers of each session I am interested in attending. I will glance at those notes before I attend the session. When I go up to introduce myself to the speaker(s), I can talk to them about their specific blog or company. It shows that I did my homework.
5. Brand or Company Bios. I also research the brands and companies that will be at the conference. When I head to the exhibit hall, I am fully prepared.
6. Tweets. About a month before a conference, I begin to follow the conference’s hashtag in TweetDeck. As tweets come through that I want to remember on site, I email the Tweet to Evernote.
7. My Session Notes. The notes I take during a session at the conference.
8. In Person Meeting Notes. This isn’t always possible because often you meet on the run for a moment. But I try to take notes after I meet with someone especially if I promised to do something.
9. Business Cards. I take a snapshot of the business card right after I receive it. If someone doesn’t have a business card available, I will ask to take a picture of their badge.
10. Pictures. I upload all my pictures from the conference as a backup and to keep all conference materials in one place.
11. Session Handouts. I take a picture with my iPhone and keep it with the session notes because Evernote can search for text within pictures.
12. Maps and/or Directions. If I have parties or meetings to attend away from the main location, I will get a map and directions before I leave.
13. Receipts. All the receipts I collect during the conference that I will need for my taxes. I take a picture of the receipt as soon as I get it. If I lose it, I have a backup copy.
14. Bonus: Anything Else. All the other minor details and notes and bits of information that come through before a conference that I may need to know. I create a separate folder for each conference I attend and I tag all the notes with the conference’s hashtag (#bwe10 for BlogWorld Expo 2010). I could print out all this information, but having it available in Evernote, allows me to quickly search for any note. I download the conference file to each device I take with me so all the notes are available offline too.

How are you preparing for BlogWorld Expo?

Michele McGraw is a mom of 4 who blogs about technology, digital scrapbooking and fitness at Scraps of My Geek Life. She can be found socializing on Twitter, @ScrappinMichele.

Image Credit: Microsoft Image Gallery