You’re attending CMX Summit 2020!

That's great! But now what?

After attending my first ever CMX Summit it is safe to say I had no idea what I was getting into, what to expect, or how to plan my trip to make the most out of the experience. After speaking to other community professionals and diving headfirst into the two days of CMX Summit, I was pleasantly surprised. Whether CMX Summit 2020 is your first foray into this awesome community, or you’re a Summit veteran, these tips will help you plan your experience to make it the most valuable for you.

Buy your ticket early.

Take advantage of CMX’s early bird pricing (early bird tickets are on sale until March 31!). This will save you a nice sum of money that can be put towards other travel expenses.

Book your flights!

Whether you are travelling domestic or international, flights can be expensive. Start the search early and secure a good deal. You already know the dates - CMX Summit 2020 is on October 6 and 7, with an optional day of workshops on October 5.

Scope out the accommodation.

For previous Summits, CMX has partnered with a hotel nearby which gives Summit attendees exclusive rates. Alternatively, try an accomodation app like Airbnb or VRBO. Maybe you can even share a room with someone to reduce costs. (I did this last year with a fellow CMX’er and it was a great way to meet new people). You can find other Summit attendees in the CMX Summit Facebook group…And on that note..

Join the CMX Summit Facebook group!

I am a big fan of Facebook and the Summit Facebook group was a great resource for me to get information from other attendees about what to expect. Through this group, you have the opportunity to meet with attendees before stepping foot in Redwood City. I even found someone to carpool with from the airport! You can only join the CMX Summit Facebook Group after you’ve purchased a ticket.

Community community community.

Be prepared to hear the word “community” until the cows come home. This may be self-explanatory as this is a community building conference, but I really did not anticipate how many times I would hear the word and subsequently write it down. I even started to question my spelling of the word I had written it so much!

Take time out when you need it.

David Spinks mentioned during his opening remarks at CMX Summit 2019 that the next few days were going to be intense. He was not wrong. I actually went back to my hotel for a few hours to disconnect in the evenings and it did wonders for me.

Download the CMX Summit app.

This was my go-to resource for keynote presentations, events, networking and more. The night before I would go in and plan my day, that way when I arrived, I was all set and ready to absorb as much information as possible without the worry of deciding what to do or where to go next.

Ditch the business cards.

Another great feature of the CMX Summit app is that you can scan the barcode of other attendees’ badges and it will save their info for you. You can also message them through the app to keep in touch. Save the trees!

Planning to do some sightseeing?

Do it before the Summit. I went into San Francisco the day after the conference and was so tired from a very full two days, I felt like I wasn’t able to enjoy the sights. Arriving a day or two early allows you to adjust to the time zone,l and hopefully get a good night’s sleep before the excitement begins.

Bring some SWAG to trade with others!

We all love free stuff... T-shirts, mugs, hats, pens, stickers, pretty much anything. Go and say hi to other attendees and talk about how they can help you build your communities, and trade some swag. You’ll leave with all sorts of exciting things.

Get involved.

Aside from the keynote presentations, there are so many opportunities for networking with other professionals. Lunchtime activities, after hour drinks, CMX Connect events, or even a casual meetups planned by other attendees. It was so empowering to share my story with other like-minded people, get advice, and be on the same wavelength.

Dress comfortably.

Many conferences have the expectation of a businessy dress code. CMX Summit is different. In 2019 I felt so at home, like I was around some extended family members I had never met before. Therefore, I felt I could be dressed less formal and so did everyone else. Ditch that suit and put on those jeans. Oh, and comfy shoes are a must for the walking between keynote presentations at one venue to another. In a nutshell, just be you!Early bird tickets for CMX Summit 2020 are on sale now until March 31! Get yours today!