This is advice for folks new to the rally. Last year was my first and I came out of it extremely energized. There's so much information to ingest and digest, so I want to help newer members maximize their time at the event. Some simple preparation can help a lot.
- Look at the agenda before you arrive and pick out your top selections for every hour. There will be slots where you want to go to more than one thing, so mark your preferences to stay organized.
- Figure out how you best take notes. I like to type on a laptop, others prefer pen and paper.
- Clean up storage space on your phone so you can take lots of pictures... not just social stuff but presentations, etc.
- Don't try to do too much! It's like a vacation... if you plan too much activity you just wear yourself out. Account for some downtime.
- Be ready to talk about yourself. You will be meeting composers, supervisors, artists, etc. Go over your own numbers so you can speak intelligently about what you do. How many forwards have you had? Any placements? Which networks? What genres? What is your speciality?
- Plan on hanging around the lobby bar, whether or not you drink. it is the social hub of the rally. It's an open area, plenty of room to sit, and some of the shy folks might be sitting further away from the bar. It's a great place to meet people and learn.
- Food: The restaurant is good I hear, but I never ate there. There's a subway just down the street, a Denny's in the opposite direction, and if you really hate your digestive system you can visit the Taco Bell across the street. There also might be a really good taco truck in the area, but I'm not saying much more than that.
- Listening Panels: TEST your CDs before you leave home. Several times last year people were selected but their CDs didn't work. The odds of getting picked during one of the big room sessions are small, so don't blow it by having a bad disc.
- Coffee: there is a coffee shop in the hotel lobby.
- Make room on the credit card for purchases. There will be several vendors attending.
