-By Janet L. Falk, Contributing Member and Public Relations Professional

Are you eager to attend an all-day large industry conference, but the Registration Fee is more than $405?

Here’s how to network with your former peers and get the latest news without paying the big bucks for registration:

Attend the conference and proudly wear a meeting badge by working at the event.

Conferences arranged by a trade association are usually staffed by
volunteers and the organizers will welcome your assistance.

As soon as you get word of an upcoming event, contact the conference chair
and members of the organizing committee, whose names are usually listed on
the conference website. Offer your services for either free entry or a
reduced rate.

On Friday, June 16, I attended Fund Raising Day New York, the annual
conference of the Association of Fund Raising Professionals, which heavily
relies on volunteer help. Because I had attended the event in the past, I
got my name to the Volunteer Committee early and selected the Executive
Leadership series of sessions for which I wanted to serve as a Room Monitor.
Before each of the four sessions started, I made sure to work the room,
reminding the Executive Directors and other attendees to turn off their cell
phones. In the process, I introduced myself and promoted my specialty of
working with nonprofit organizations to generate media coverage that would
raise awareness of their group to prospective donors and funders. I
distributed my business card and collected quite a few cards for follow-up.

In addition to four information-laden sessions and contact with three or
four speakers per session, I got breakfast and lunch. Plus, my resume was
posted on the Job Candidates Board.

Finally, my early-morning arrival let me prowl the Exhibition Hall and chat
with the vendors while they were fresh and not distracted by their true
potential customers.

If you’re too late to volunteer, perhaps you have a friend whose conference
badge becomes lost and so she has to get a duplicate. You can figure it out
from there.