If you’ve never been to a NAR Convention, first of all, get ready for an amazing experience as there is nothing like it in the industry in terms of having so many options of what to do, great educational sessions, networking opportunities, parties, etc. that it can be a bit overwhelming.  So leave it to the RETI Team who are all veterans of many NAR Conferences, to give you our Top 10 List of What to Do at NAR Annual Convention!

1. Download the NAR app before you come.  It has all the info you need on the schedule, locations, speakers, and more. You can always delete it after the convention is over, but you will be happy you downloaded it once you are there.
2. Try to plan out all of the meetings, educational sessions, social activities, etc. before you leave.  Use the app or visit the NAR website and make sure to put the meetings on your calendar in the time zone of where the conference will be held (San Francisco is in the Pacific Time Zone/PST) at otherwise you may be late or early for meetings.
3. Pack comfortable shoes.  In addition to going from your hotel to the convention center, the convention center is huge so there is a lot of walking to get around, and having comfortable shoes is a must.  Trust us, we speak from experience on this one.
4. Buy your YPN ticket well in advance – they normally sell out as it is one of the highlights of the conference.
5. Bring lots of business cards – I know we live in a tech society but people still collect cards, especially the Expo Vendors that will have drawings
6. Map out the Trade Show Vendors you want to go to before you attend so you focus on meeting them and are not tempted by the bright shiny objects of other vendors.  And definitely plan on going to the Trade Show as it really allows you to discover some amazing vendors’ products & solutions for your business.
7. Leave room in your luggage for all the swag/propaganda you will receive from the vendors.
8. Make dinner reservations ahead of time.  In a city like San Francisco, you might want to check out an app like OpenTable to help you with this especially if you want to make plans with a large group.
9. Find out what committee meetings are open & attend committee meetings that you are interested in. Introduce yourself to the staff liaison as well as the chair if you wanting to try to get on the committee.
10. Follow #NARannual on Twitter about two weeks before you attend so you can try to meet the people In Real Life (IRL) when you get there.

Bonus – Be as friendly as possible and go with the intent of making friends and building your referral network.  NAR conventions are a great venue for networking and building your sphere of influence.