Vanessa LaClair, CMP is president-elect for MPI NENY, and the event coordinator for IPPNY, a trade association in Albany, N.Y. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Conference season is in full swing.  Right about now, planners and suppliers in the meetings industry are wishing for one of those “easy” buttons from Staples instead of the panic button that seems to be floating over our heads (think The Sims).  Personally, I feel like the mom in the Staples commercial where the son thinks he’s going to freak her out with his back to school list.

Although this isn’t my first conference rodeo, I still find myself feeling overwhelmed the closer we get to the event.  On top of that, I’ve been extremely busy with traveling, blogging, and general social media – for work, volunteer and play.

In addition to my regular job, I have been heavily involved in MPI WEC10 as a social media guru and a blogger for Engage365.  How have I managed to stay sane?  Better yet, how am I getting it all done? There’s a lesson in here somewhere – probably more than one.  So here is a list (because I love a good list) of the things I’ve learned along the way and perhaps a few helpful tips to get you that much closer to your “easy” button.

• Make a list! You knew that was coming! For me, when I commit my list to paper, I commit it to memory.  When the list gets too messy, from crossing things off the list, I rewrite it!

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you can’t manage it, ask someone to help you. It’s better to get help and do well, than to try and manage it yourself and come out looking worse in the end.  If you can’t do it, you can’t do it.  Don’t try to pretend you can.

• Outsource! Use your professional contacts when you can’t do something in house – better to pay someone else to do it right the first time.  I have found from experience that creating brochures or programs in house can be time consuming and costly.  I have wasted precious planning time on designing, printing and mailing company materials, when I should have had an outside printing company do to the work for me.

• Don’t take criticism to heart - it’s not personal!  Take it, run with it, and make your event, meeting, blog, etc. that much better next time.

• Be critical, but fair. Have you attended an event you didn’t like? Let them know, but do it in a way that improves the event in the future.  Don’t be critical, just to be critical – have some positive spin and useful feedback.

• Volunteer when you can, but remember you’re still a volunteer. You have a full time career. It’s great to join chapters, associations, groups, etc., but don’t lose focus on your day job.

• Use social media effectively, don’t let it overwhelm you. My favorite quote, “It’s not information overload, it’s filter failure”.  In this social media age, we are inundated with information; we need to remember to turn the filter on.  Don’t let the vast amount of information overwhelm you. Take a break from updating your status and contributing to the online world.  You don’t need to be “on” 24/7.

• Stay calm, cool and collected. Remember, you’ll be the one who notices the nuances more than anyone else.  You’ll see the smallest detail go wrong, when no one else will.  Don’t sweat the small stuff and your event will turn out great!

• Don’t forget to eat and get some rest! My meeting planner colleague Kim Partridge, CMP said it best: “Sometimes being a planner can be demanding and stressful, which can take its toll both physically and emotionally. The key is to take the skills that make you a successful planner and apply them to your own life. Don’t just plan for the event, plan for YOU!” We need to remember to take care of ourselves, so that we can be on our “A” game.

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