First-Time Attendee Guide

Your go-to guide for maximizing your first ADHA conference experience!  

Navigating the American Dental Hygienists’ Association Annual Conference can be a daunting experience for first-time attendees. Here are some tips to ensure that you get the most out of your first ADHA conference and leave feeling inspired.

PRE-CONFERENCE PREP

Take the time to look at the Annual Conference website for the latest information. This is where you’ll find upcoming education sessions, exhibitors and not-to-be-missed social events (which are always a blast!)
Connect with fellow hygienists you know (from your research, people you’ve met at past meetings, former teachers, etc.) to see if they will be attending the annual meeting
Bring along some business cards (50 or so), and a notebook. There will be wifi reception in the meeting rooms and hotel lobbies, so bringing your laptop or tablet is also an option. It’s best not to have a huge backpack/bag, though—less is more since you’ll be walking around a lot all day.

CONFERENCE READY

Get ready for stimulating discussions on the latest research and all the professional issues you care about most. Sessions are 60 – 90 minutes long with time for Q & A with the audience. If you have general questions, feel free to ask during the session. For more specific questions, wait to ask until after the session ends.

Sign up for classes during the registration process. Sessions fill up quickly.
Make modifications to your schedule before June 2022. No changes can be made after that.
Bring your ticket to enter If you’ve registered for a hands-on lab. It will be inside your attendee badge. You will need this ticket to enter the room.
Attend sessions that are about your field or focus on challenges you are facing.
Remember, it’s okay to skip a session block if the topics to be presented aren’t of interest to you. This is a great time to take a break, visit the Membership booth or visit the exhibit hall, schedule one-on-one networking, or do some sightseeing.

MEETING PEOPLE

Network, network, network! Walking between hotels, in between sessions, sharing a table for coffee, sitting before a presentation starts—always be willing to meet new people. If you see someone who was at the same session as you during the weekend, you have an easy lead-in to conversation when you find yourself in the same session again with “What did you think about….?” or “Do you also do research related to…?

You might find it helpful to read through the program ahead of time, find panelists whose interests overlap with yours, and email them in advance to see if they can meet for a coffee. This can help you create valuable contacts and give you some time to prepare to make the most out of your meeting.
Practice an “elevator speech” of your research interests (among your friends is fine!), whether a synopsis of your dissertation argument if you’re close to finishing or an overview of the questions and sources that interest you if you’re not. This should ideally be thirty seconds or less.

If you are in Dental Hygiene program, it’s a good idea to talk beforehand with your professors and your friends in the program to see who will be going to the conference. Resist the urge to remain glued to your friends the entire week. Many professionals would like to reach out to new conference goers but can find approaching a whole group intimidating (yes, networking fears work both ways!).

NETWORKING EVENTS

First-Time Attendee Orientation and Reception
Kick off Annual Conference by attending the first-time attendee orientation and reception, exclusively just for first-timers. Meet fellow attendees just like you, hear from ADHA leadership and connect with ADHA Ambassadors who will share their stories and offer tips and tricks on how to best take advantage of your time at ADHA22. Click here to learn more!

Connect with an ADHA Ambassador
An Ambassador is someone who has attended at least one conference and generally knows what to expect from the week. Ambassadors share their experiences, advise you on sessions and special events that are likely to suit your interests, and facilitate networking with other attendees. You can meet your ADHA Ambassador at the first-time attendee orientation and reception.