Mistakes I made at my first EA Global event (and what I'll do differently next time)

A few days and a couple of aspirin after attending my first EA Global event in NYC, I think I could have had a much more fruitful experience if I hadn't made some "basic" mistakes. So, I thought, why not share them publicly so other newcomers can avoid making the same mistakes?

1. Choosing a lower-quality accommodation to avoid 30-45 minutes of commuting 

New York has one of the largest subway systems in the world, which means you’re probably good to go anywhere around the central region within 30-45 minutes as long as you’re near a subway station. I didn't think of that and decided to stay as close as I could to the venue.

Of course, ‘as close as I could’ really meant ‘as close as I could afford’: a cramped 6-bed hostel with plenty of snoring and people bumping into stuff throughout the night. Result: I didn't sleep well and by the second day I was too tired to make much from everything the event had to offer (talks, workshops, 1:1s…), and by the third day I even got a cold.

What I’d do differently next time?

Get a good quality single room that fits my budget, even if it means spending more time commuting.

2. Not booking enough 1:1s

I decided to play smart and booked just a few 1:1s (three per day) so that I could leave some free time for serendipity. The problem? Everyone else was in 1:1s while I was on my fourth coffee and tenth snack of the day.

What I’d do differently next time?

Book lots of 1:1s. Probably not too many that I get exhausted, but enough (maybe six or eight per day?) to make good use of one of the best things about conferences: meeting interesting people so you can follow up, build relationships, etc.

3. Didn't make enough notes

Although I took some notes during the 1:1s, I felt I could benefit much better from them if I had a more systematic approach to taking notes while listening/talking. It wasn’t such a big deal to the point that the 1:1s were useless, but thinking in retrospect, having an optimal process would have tremendous cost-benefit.

1:1s last 25 minutes by default, and it turns out it's not enough time to cover everything you want AND make organized notes. 

What I’d do differently next time?

Consider a systematic way to take notes, and maybe use better technology (like a recorder), so I can make the most of my notes, and I don't become stressed out multi-tasking writing, speaking, and listening. 

Final thoughts

As I mentioned, it was my very first EAG event, and I'm not sure if the things I plan to do differently next time would actually make my experience significantly better. I’d love to know what EAG veterans think, too.