Surviving a Conference: Essential Tools You Must Have!

Whether you're attending the upcoming #IJTC2012, or you're planning on attending #STLE2013 in Detroit, MI, here are some great tools that could come in handy as you walk around the show or prepare for your trip:

• TaxiMagic: a travel app to help you get from the conference to the airport and back
• GroupMe: free group text messaging - use with co-workers or colleagues on site to coordinate plans
• Evernote: take notes and share with others at the conference (if you're into sharing)
• Cardmunch: iPhone app that allows you to scan a card on the spot, connect with that person on LinkedIn and make notes about the conversation and when/where you met them. You can also send emails to the contact from the app and forward the contact to your other accounts or to someone else.
• #IJTC2012 and #STLE2013: use the Twitter hashtag to keep up with the conference - including sessions you cannot attend, connecting with other attendees and making your own comments/notes for post-conference use. If following, use a social media management/monitoring tool to keep up with discussions and tweetable tidbits (i.e. Tweetchat, Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, etc.); you can also use Storify to organize all the relevant items mentioned about the conference that you've found on social media
• Flickr: share photos in real time on STLE's photo stream either by uploading your own photos or by tagging yourself and friends in the photos we post. You could use any photo-sharing site - another popular site is Picasa. If you want it on the go, you can use Instagram.

If this is your first time attending, see our tips to help you acclimate. Once the event is over, be sure to check out our upcoming post on what to do after the conference.

What are your tips, tricks and best practices for attending a conference? What apps, tools, resources or websites would you recommend for the upcoming meeting? Leave a comment and make suggestions for your fellow travelers!