So you are heading to Hamar, Norway, to "Feed your Senses" at the 2006 IFAJ Congress. You have cleared your time to be away from home for this special occasion. You have registered for it, scheduled travel and arranged lodging. Now, here are some tips for getting the most from a great opportunity. They come from a variety of IFAJ members - and from others through resources in the Agricultural Communications Documentation Center. You might expect some of these tips. Others may not have occurred to you. In any case, we hope they help stir your thinking, spark some ideas and multiply the value of your experience in Norway. Thanks to all who provided them. - Be active. As Masaru Yamada of the Japanese Agricultural Journalists Association puts it, "Nought venture, not have." Discuss issues with journalists from other countries, Masaru adds. "This is the greatest opportunity to see things from the international perspective."
- Listen, look, taste and smell, suggests Jana Janku of KPN Slovakia. Jana has taken part in 10 IFAJ Congresses. Along with Masaru, she urges Congress-goers to talk with fellow IFAJ members and with hosting persons. Listen and watch for story ideas. "I have always found interesting subjects for articles in media," she reports, "not only articles about agriculture or processing but also about tourism and social affairs."
- "Avoid spending all your time with people you know," says Greg Lamp of the American Agricultural Editors' Association. "IFAJ provides a wonderful venue to find out about others in your profession from around the world. Don't miss these unique opportunities to meet new people. Embrace the new friendships and potential source contacts."
- Attend "all" the functions, even if something doesn't trip your trigger, Greg suggests. "Often, you'll find a nugget of information in the oddest situations. Plus, participating in everything planned will help you get connected to fellow IFAJers."
- Bring a few photos of your family or office or something, he adds. "We all like to learn about the more personal side of each other's lives."
- Bring business cards and share them during the Congress to help you establish contacts.
- Collect business cards from others and carefully keep every card you receive. "Keep them for years!" said United States farm broadcaster Max Armstrong in a recent article about getting the most from global experiences. "You may be surprised at how helpful that contact can be two or three years from now when a hot story develops in that region and everyone else is relying on scant wire stories from abroad."
- Be ready with gifts, when appropriate. This idea, also from Max, is based on his observation that people love to receive pins, hats and other mementoes from other parts of the world. "Squirrel away some things you will leave overseas" with those who may enjoy them in a special way.
- "Hallways are where it's at," observed agricultural communicator Clancy Strock in a tongue-in-cheek Agri Marketing article for conference first-timers. "The real business of these meetings is conducted in the corridors," he argued. "You can have a pleasant and rewarding career in agri-marketing by investing a mere 12-18 hours each year hanging around in the hallway."
- Be culturally alert and sensitive. IFAJ members are pioneering in their international efforts. International communicating is not easy and, at the Congress, you will deal with some language differences. Beyond that, be aware that each language is connected to a rich cultural dimension that gives rise to wide variations in meanings and perceptions. You can see a few samples of scrambled meanings in an ACDC article by David Wigglesworth.
- Keep a diary during the Congress. You may be surprised, later, how helpful it can be in reminding you of your activities, contacts and ideas generated in Hamar. You may use it as a private memory or, if you are a blogger, a resource to be shared.
- "My participation in the Congress was never lost time," Jana Janku explains in looking back at 10 years of attendance. Actually, anyone we have asked about the IFAJ Congress speaks highly of it as a stimulating, enjoyable and valuable experience. Their reactions remind us of a study several years ago among U. S. extension professionals after having international experiences. Ninety-eight percent said the benefits they received were worth the time and efforts invested. They said their international experiences benefited them - and changed them - professionally and personally.
Have a great Congress! Jim Evans, Joe Zumalt, Carolyn Sanford, Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, An international resource and service from the University of Illinois, USA, Searchable online at http://web.aces.uiuc.edu/agcomdb/docctr.html, e-mail: evansj@uiuc.edu |
