Getting Around at the AMWA Annual Conference

We can count on many things being the same at the AMWA Annual Conference year after year: outstanding educational offerings, great networking opportunities, and the chance to see old friends and colleagues. But each AMWA Annual Conference is different too, especially with AMWA’s added emphasis on innovative programming. Making our way across the meeting space and around the host city is always new.

Thanks to modern technology, you can become more familiar with your conference surroundings from the comfort of your home (or, if you’re a procrastinator, as you travel to Columbus).

There’s an App for That
Yes, there’s an app for the AMWA Annual Conference—the most exciting thing to happen to the conference since…well, I’m not sure what. If you haven’t downloaded the app, do yourself a favor and download it before you leave for the conference so you have plenty of time to become familiar with it. You can download the conference app for free to your iPhone, iPad, or Android device. Just search for the app in the iTunes store or Google Play store with the search term “AMWA.”

First, make sure to create an account and profile after you download the app. You can make contact information public or private. One feature of the app allows you to download contact information for other attendees—great for networking! Attendees can download your contact information only if you make your information public, so be sure to consider this.

Want to see the conference schedule? With the app, you can review the schedule in a variety of different ways. First is the traditional by day. If you don’t want to think linearly, try looking at the schedule by track or by topic. Or, look up the schedule by speaker. If all else fails, you can search for a word or words.

Once you find sessions you want to attend, you can create your own personal schedule. And, you can even set a reminder for the sessions in your schedule. If you’re not sure about whether your schedule can accommodate a session, bookmark it. Later, you can look at your bookmarked sessions to see what you can get to.

The app includes the rooms of sessions, as well as maps of the meeting space at the Hyatt. No more waiting until you’re onsite to see where your sessions are and how far you have to run to get from one to the next. Map it out in advance!

Also become familiar with some of the things you’ll be able to do with the app during the conference…like take notes at sessions, connect through your social media accounts, rank sessions. We really hope the app enhances your conference experience from beginning to end!

If you really don’t have time to play with the app before the conference, staff will be on hand in the registration area to help you. And tips for using the app will be available at the Editorial Rx Press exhibit table, the sponsor of the app.

Get Out!
Yes, the AMWA Annual Conference is packed with opportunities to learn and to network. But be sure to get out at some point to enjoy this unbelievable city! Right around the corner from the convention center is the Short North, the culturally rich neighborhood known as the “art and soul” of Columbus. You’ll enjoy walking through this city gem.

Also just steps from the Hyatt is the North Market, which describes itself as “…the fabulous foodies, persnickety purveyors, and artful artisans peddling the fresh, the tasty, the exotic, the beautiful, and the special.” As a bonus, a Farmer’s Market is featured every Saturday. Wouldn’t some nice fruit or fresh flowers look good on your hotel desk?

A little farther out is the German Village, a tiny neighborhood that is one of the premier historic districts in the country. It’s packed with fun places to eat and drink.

Learn more about what Columbus offers at My Columbus. Also, members of the Ohio Valley Chapter will be available in the registration area (and by phone) to help answer your questions about the area and make suggestions. The AMWA Conference app also includes a list of some restaurants compiled by Ohio Valley Chapter members.

When you do venture farther away from the Hyatt, remember Columbus’ famous saying: “All you need is 4’s.” That’s the motto of Yellow Cab of Columbus, which has been operating since 1928. The background to the saying is the cab company’s phone number: 444-4444 (area code 614). And, to capitalize on the 4 theme, four people can ride for the price of one. Sounds like a good way to get around (and traveling in groups is always best). Besides the easy-to-remember phone number (you’ve memorized it, right?), Yellow Cab offers 4 ways to order a cab: phone, online, an app (available in the App Store), and even by text message (you send your pick-up address to 777222—hey, what happened to the 4s?). So, there’s no excuse for not exploring Columbus—or not getting back to the hotel on time.

I look forward to exploring Columbus with all of you!