{"id":52932,"date":"2015-09-10T17:53:25","date_gmt":"2015-09-10T17:53:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ona15.journalists.org\/?p=52932"},"modified":"2015-09-23T04:35:39","modified_gmt":"2015-09-23T04:35:39","slug":"cant-miss-guide-to-ona15-irving-washingtons-strategy-for-introverts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ona15.journalists.org\/2015\/09\/10\/cant-miss-guide-to-ona15-irving-washingtons-strategy-for-introverts\/","title":{"rendered":"Can\u2019t-Miss Guide to ONA15: Irving Washington\u2019s Strategy for Introverts"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Irving Washington<\/p><\/div>\n

Note: This is part of\u00a0a series of posts written by ONA staff and conference organizers recommending sessions or tips they feel will be particularly interesting or helpful.\u00a0<\/em>Previous\u00a0recommendations came\u00a0from Julie Westfall<\/a>\u00a0and Luis Gomez<\/a>,\u00a0co-chairs of the ONA15 Program Team<\/a>,\u00a0Jen Mizgata<\/a>, ONA\u2019s Senior Communications Manager, Jeremiah Patterson<\/a>, ONA’s Digital Manager and Jess Strelitz<\/a>, ONA’s Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships.\u00a0These tips were created by Irving Washington, ONA\u2019s Deputy Director.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n

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ONA is back in LA and a lot has changed <\/span>since we were last in the city in 2004. <\/span><\/a>From a few hundred attendees to now over 2,000 people, the conference is one of the most exciting and energetic journo gatherings in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

This also will be our largest conference yet. As a self-proclaimed introvert, I know that in large crowds we can be the life of the party or the quietest person in the room. (As a PSA to our extroverted friends, introversion has nothing to do with shyness or social awkwardness \u00a0— if I had a dime for every time someone doubted my introversion, I\u2019d be rich — but more to do with our response to stimulation and need for renewal.)<\/span><\/p>\n

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Having clocked in at nearly 50 journalism conferences and five ONA conferences, I feel pretty confident the following strategy guide will help my #ONAIntroverts at ONA15.<\/p>\n

Have a \u201cstart early\u201d strategy. <\/b>Nothing is more overwhelming to an introvert than attending an event where you don\u2019t know anyone. Eliminate this by connecting now with attendees online. Follow conversations on <\/span>#ONA15<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>@ONA<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>@ONAConf<\/span><\/a>. Introduce yourself in our <\/span>ONA15 Facebook Group<\/span><\/a> and join other groups such as our <\/span>ONA International<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>ONA Educators<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Diverse Social Media Editors and Digital Journalists<\/span><\/a>. You\u2019re most likely separated by two degrees from someone in the digital journo world. Scan the <\/span>speaker list<\/span><\/a> and reach out to anyone you know or find someone to introduce you prior to the conference.<\/span><\/p>\n

Have an overall conference strategy. <\/b>A common introverted procrastination technique is to just wing it. You\u2019re investing your time and money to attend, so spend some time thinking about how to make your experience the best. Do you want to learn a particular skill? Check out our <\/span>hands-on workshops<\/span><\/a>. Want a new job? Submit your resume to the <\/span>Career Fair<\/span><\/a>. Want to meet some awesome people? Schedule a chat with one of our <\/span>speakers<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Have a networking strategy.<\/b> I know. I know. The word \u201cnetworking\u201d alone makes introverts cringe. Not because we don\u2019t enjoy great people and conversations. but because we like to view our relationships as genuine and authentic. But ONA15 will have a ton of opportunities to develop real connections.<\/span><\/p>\n

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You should definitely plan to attend our <\/span>Opening Night Reception<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Online Journalism Awards<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>ONA Local Meetup<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Karaoke Party<\/span><\/a> (bonus points for <\/span>donating<\/span><\/a> to a good cause or actually singing). Keep your eyes glued to your email when we release our \u201cparty post\u201d shortly that lists all events at the conference. <\/span><\/p>\n

Pro tips for social events:<\/span><\/p>\n