10 Tips for Getting the Most out of Photoshop World

This March 30 – April 1 will be my 14th Photoshop World and it is one of the things I look forward to most each year. I can’t imagine how many miles of tradeshow carpet I’ve tred, but I’ve dusted off my top 10 list of things you can do to get the most out of your time there:

1. Plan ahead. There are a couple of tools to help you do that. If you have an iDevice, then download and install the Photoshop World Planner, or if you prefer an old fashion (sounds silly) PDF type planner you can thank Dave Cross.
2. Get to your class as early as possible to grab a seat. Popular classes can become standing room only and trust me when I say you will be on your feet quite enough as it is. Depending on the room layout and size don’t expect there to be a table in every room. If you are bringing your laptop you might want to be very strategic and even scope out rooms ahead of time so you’ll know what to expect when you get there. Bonus tip: Bring a sweater or don’t sit under the vents if you get chilled easily!
3. Bring a backpack, courier bag or tote to carry your stuff. The workbook alone is bigger than the New York City phonebook, so once you fill up on vendor swag and goodies you’ll wish you had something to put it all in.
4. Bring water. Water bottles in the convention center and hotels are expensive. Stay hydrated!
5. On the topic of hydration, the convention center air is very dry, air conditioned and you will be glad handing, hugging and chit-chatting more than you probably do in a given day. I highly recommend hand sanitizer, cough drops, eye drops and even that saline nasal spray stuff.
6. Wear comfortable shoes. Seriously! You will be on your feet and walking walking walking all day and well into the night. Yes, I’m gellin!
7. If you need help, get lost, or heaven forbid … are not having a good time at the show, please grab one of those nice people in the black STAFF shirts and talk to them. The folks at NAPP are the nicest bunch of dedicated folks I know. They will happily do what they can to help you out, but they can’t if you don’t let them know. They may look busy (and they are) but don’t be shy they really do want you to have a great time.
8. Keep your eye on the Photoshop World Blog, where you can find some great up to the minute information about the event as well as some sage advice from past experiences.
9. Use twitter to get as it happens news, tips and a feel for what else is going on at the show. You can’t be everywhere at once so here’s what I do, using Tweetdeck, set up a search column for #PSW (the hastag for Photoshop World) so you can see a steady stream of PSW related tweets. Here’s a twitter list of Photoshop World instructors/staff to follow and hear tweets from folks likely to be tweeting away all week.
10. OK, you weren’t able to shell out for the full conference but just happen to be in the neighborhood? No problem! Pick up a free Expo Hall pass! Yes, free! This pass will get you into the vendor Expo area which is full of free training opportunities and cool live demos from various vendors.

Hope to see you there! Today (2/25) is the last day to save $100, so what are you waiting for?