First Time Attendees Guide to NCTIES

*Updated for NCTIES 2020

In just a few days close to 4,000 educators will descend upon Raleigh for the North Carolina Technology in Education Society (NCTIES) conference. If this is your first time attending, get ready for two days packed with learning and networking. It can be a little overwhelming, but here are a few tips to help you make the most of the experience.

Before Heading to the Conference

1. Download the Sched app and search for NCTIES. The app contains the daily schedules, allows you to make a personal schedule, CEU forms, maps, parking information, shuttle information and more. Refresh it often during the conference to check for session cancellations and changes. There won’t be paper copies of the schedule on hand.
2. Make a game plan. Go through the app and add the sessions you are interested in attending to your schedule. It may be helpful to have one or two marked for each time slot just in case your first choice is full. If you are attending with a group, be sure to split up so you can cover more ground. Set up a shared group notes file in Google Docs or Google Slides so everyone in your group can benefit from the sessions you attend. Here is the link to the large scale collaborative notes Google slideshow. Simply grab a slide and take notes. (This can also be found in the Info section of the app.)
3. Follow the conference on Twitter. (@ncties or #ncties2020) The conference planning committee uses the Twitter feed to post updates, lost and found, door prize winners and more. Conference attendees share a wealth of information using the hashtag. Check it frequently so you don’t miss out!
4. What to pack. Dress comfortably! You will do a lot of walking. Sessions span the entire convention center, the Marriott and the Sheraton. Make sure you have a mobile device and charger. If you are a first time presenter, bring any adapters you may need to connect to the projectors. A refillable water bottle may not be a bad idea either.

At the Conference

1. Pre-Conference Sessions. These sessions begin on Wednesday. They are an additional cost that is not covered by the regular registration. You must have a ticket to attend these sessions. The main conference begins on Thursday. If you arrive on Wednesday and have not paid for a pre-conference session, feel free to stop by and pick up your registration packet. Just know you will not be able to attend the pre-conference sessions unless you have a ticket.
2. Getting there. With 3,500+ people descending upon downtown Raleigh, it can be a little harrowing to find a parking spot that first morning. Options: a) I highly recommend using the free shuttle buses if you are staying at one of the conference hotels. Be sure to check with your hotel. b) Check to see if the R Line, Raleigh’s free transit line, runs close to your hotel. c) Know your parking options. This map can help. d) Carpool if possible. e) Utilize Uber and Lyft.
3. Arrive early. Seriously! The closer it is to 8am, the longer the lines for everything from parking to registration will be. Save yourself a great deal of headache and get there early. There is a free breakfast in the vendor hall beginning at 7:30 and the opening session begins at 8:30am on Thursday. To avoid long lines while parking, at the registration desk, and at breakfast be sure to get there as early as you can. I know I’m repeating myself, but you’ll thank me later if you do arrive early. (Note: The registration desk will be open from 8am – 6pm on Wednesday and from 7am – 5pm on Thursday. )
4. Wear your badge. Make sure you wear your badge at all times. You will need it to get into sessions, the Exhibit Hall, and special events.
5. Ticketed events. If the session or event you are attending requires you the have a ticket, please make sure you bring it with you. The tickets can be found on the sheet attached to your name tag provided to you at registration.
6. Food. The conference hosts a free breakfast each morning and snack breaks during the day. Check the app for specific times. They will be located in the Exhibit Hall. Lunch is on your own. If you wish to stay on site there will be hot food available for purchase at the Exhibit Hall Concession Stand. Snacks can be purchased at The Java Hut located on the 3rd floor. There are many restaurants within walking distance of the Convention Center if you wish to venture out.
7. Don’t miss the Student Showcase. This is my favorite part of the conference. You really get to see technology in action. Students are excited to share the great things they are doing in their schools. From the biggest kids to the smallest, their enthusiasm will melt your heart.
8. Visit the Exhibit Hall. Technology changes so quickly. Take time to visit each of the Vendor Booths to see what new and exciting tools are available. I guarantee your wish list will be a mile long by the time you leave! (Bonus: Some of the Vendors offer their own freebies or door prizes. Check out each one so you don’t miss out!)
9. Take time to network. Some of my greatest learning experiences have come from the conversations I was a part of during sessions, at snack breaks or at the Thursday night TIES Together event. Take time to talk to others at the conferences. Each person you’ll meet has something valuable to share.
10. Sign up to volunteer and get a free tshirt. There are so many things that need to be done at the conference and only a small volunteer staff to make it all run smoothly. Volunteers are a huge help! It’s also a great way to learn a few of the ins and outs of how the conference is run. Be sure to sign up to volunteer. The volunteer table will be located near the registration desk.
11. Share the wifi love. If you want to test the power of a network, just throw 4,000 techies in one space and see what happens! Everyone loves free wifi, but with that many people trying to connect to a network at one time it can slow down the best of infrastructures. Try to keep the number of devices you connect down to a minimum so everyone can connect and get the most out of there experience.
12. Thank a Board Member. The NCTIES Board is an all volunteer board, which means they put their heart and soul in this each year to make sure you have a phenomenal conference experience and don’t get paid to do it. This is all done of top of the “real” jobs. Each day they can be found near the registration booth or around the conference. They often only hear about the things that may not have gone as planned, so be sure to stop them and say “thank you” if you are having a great experience.

After the Conference

Each year I leave the conference with my head almost spinning from all of the information I’ve learned. I want to immediately go back and implement everything I’ve seen. Take it from someone who learned the hard way, don’t. You’ll overwhelm yourself.

A better way is to make a list of the things you want to try. Start with the one thing that you know you can start doing right now that would have the biggest impact. Once you have that in place, then move to the next and so on. You’ll have better results if you start by doing one thing well than if you try to throw in 10 things at once.

I hope these tips help to make your time at NCTIES the best they can be. If you don’t walk away on Friday rethinking the way you teach, I’d be deeply surprised. That’s what conferences like NCTIES are all about. It’s a time to learn and reexamine how we do things to help us make changes for the better.

If you have additional tips or tricks for first time attendees, please share them below. I’d love to hear time.