Any time you attend a conference there are many opportunities to fill your time. You can focus on your own personal goals, which may or may not differ from your professional goals. You can spend the time filling up your social calendar and networking. You have the opportunity to attend as many educational sessions as you can fit into the hours of the day. And you can spend time exploring the local sights, sounds, and culture. We have built SCALE Music City to encourage you to do all of the above.

Here’s how:

Plan Your Travel

We schedule the conference (and TSLMS Annual Meeting) in May, across a long weekend that stretches from Friday to Sunday. We hold it in one of the most inviting and intriguing cities in the United States: Nashville, TN. Nashville is the home of country and americana music. It is a culinary destination and has an amazing history to learn. It also has significant natural beauty, parks to visit and museums to explore. Your first stop in town should be at the Nashville Visitors Center, and if you miss that, your hotel will likely have a top notch concierge. If you would rather take to the streets on your own, perhaps it would help to review some of the “Best Of” videos and articles from the Travel Channel that celebrate all that the city has to offer.

When you schedule your travel, assuming you don’t live in the area, make sure that before you book you get the entire schedule of SCALE. We highly recommend that you consider spending a little more than the 3 days of the conference on the ground so that you have an opportunity to enjoy Nashville and everything that it offers. Afterall, how often do you have a really good excuse to spend time in Music City?

Get Your Credits

Almost everyone who works in our field (dermatologists, plastic surgeons, oculoplastic surgeons, aesthetic physicians, nurses and aestheticians) needs CMEs. If you are part of an office staff, or work in another non-medical capacity, this likely will not apply to you. Your sole purpose in attending talks, workshops, and other sessions will be learning. However, for everyone else there is a great deal of opportunity to cover all the continuing education credits that you need for 2019. Information on accreditation can be found on the SCALE 2019 Music City website, sorted by profession, as the types and numbers of credits will differ.

Make sure that you are aware of the maximum number of credits you can get, how many you need, and then plan your conference experience and the sessions you attend based on maximizing your investment. Regardless of which category you fall into and who you will be obtaining the credits through, all participants will be taught the most up-to-date techniques in energy-based lasers and systems, learn about the use of fillers and toxins, skin care and skin care products.

Pick Your Track to Build Your Skills

Much of the SCALE 2019 Music City agenda is designed to accomodate all of the attendees, providing a fun, interesting and educational few days. From the newbie to the veteran, sessions like the cadaver head dissection workshop promise to expand your skilcraft and make you a better practitioner. The lectures, the plenary sessions and the opportunities to interact with our exhibitors are largely designed to either introduce practitioners to new opportunities, or to provide insight into the emerging trends and future projections of the industry. That said, there are 3 different tracks built into the agenda, allowing specialized learning: Cosmetic, Industry, and Medical. Take a close look at the offerings in each, and for the very best annual TSLMS meeting experience you can have, attend everything possible in the track you choose. This will assure you are among those in your field with top knowledge in 2019.

Build A Networking Plan

The best way to accomplish your networking goals, and thus make the most of your time at SCALE 2019 Music City, is to do this with intention. Know who you want to meet and why. Go out of your way to make that happen, scheduling time in advance with those you already know and leave time for impromptu meetings.

The following 10 Tips to Network Like a Pro At a Conference will help even the worst networkers:

• Practice your elevator pitch. Who are you? What do you do? Why are you attending?
• Show up early. Stand near the registration table, entrance, or food area (where people congregate). Consider approaching sponsors, exhibitors and speakers and introducing yourself. Ask people the questions you have practiced from your elevator pitch.
• Express interest in others.
• Ask questions. Be an active listener and use eye contact and body language to show you are listening.
• Talk to strangers. Everyone is there for the same reason and is sharing the same experience. Use an icebreaker, like asking what the person you are meeting thought of a particular session.
• Be personable. Use a person’s first name a few times to help you remember them.
• Take notes on their business card.
• Keep your breath fresh, using mints or gum.
• Stay hydrated. This helps you look and feel your best.
• Stay connected. Following up with everyone you meet after the conference and staying in touch is important. A personal email, connecting on social media, or sending them a card will go a long way. Scheduling a call or coffee, if you are local to them, will help to build the relationships you made.

Enjoy Yourself

One of the most important things that anyone in our field can do is let loose a little bit and enjoy life. Those of us in the medical field work really hard. However, too much hard work with too little down time can be very detrimental to your health.

According to Medical News Today, “defining what work time means is complex in modern medicine. Typical physician duties include patient contact, administrative duties, charting, teaching, meetings, and community outreach activities. And with the addition of mobile technology, work time can easily creep into life time. Even so, the life aspect of work-life balance is more straightforward. Time outside of work can include wellness needs such as sleep, nutrition, exercise, spiritual pursuits, and interactions with family and friends.”

Take time at SCALE to sleep, eat well, and have fun, as well as learn and network. This will help you go home and back to your regular work feeling like you just had a great vacation.