How to address challenges of attending and communicating at in-person conferences

In December 2021, I attended my first in-person conferences since the pandemic changed life almost two years ago.

I had a fantastic time at these conferences. When people say, “the energy in the room was palpable,” they are describing what I experienced at both events. If you are planning to attend in-person conferences in 2022, here are a few reflections on the challenges of returning to in-person conferences, communication challenges presented, and ways you might address them:

[RELATED: Make sure your team is up to date on the latest skills, strategies and practices. Learn more about Ragan Training.]

Varying levels of comfort.

At the time of these conferences, I had received two vaccines and had recently recovered from a breakthrough case of COVID. Members of my household were healthy and had received the vaccine, too. Both conferences required proof of vaccination and asked about COVID symptoms (but didn’t have a negative test requirement).