Getting through the day
Getting around
CHICAGO - It's big. It's back. And it'll wear you out.
Take it from us -- the RSNA show is no walk in the park. It's more like a walk in 17 football fields, if you count the million or so square feet reserved for the event in Chicago's supersized McCormick Place.
Once inside, you'll be dealing with sheer numbers: more than 600 technical exhibits, more than 1,000 scientific papers covering 12 subspecialties, over 250 refresher courses and how-to workshops, and more than 60,000 visitors from everywhere, most of whom have more experience than you and seem to know where they're going. If you're a newcomer, it might be more than you bargained for.
AuntMinnie.com wants to help, really. So we asked our colleagues to share a few survival tips. Anonymously. Be warned, the list is dangerously incomplete, and you'll still have plenty of time to make mistakes on your own. But hey, we tried. And if you survive, you can tell us about it next year.
PlanningPrioritization is key. Decide what has to be done at the conference (meetings, courses) and what can be taken care of at another time via phone, fax or email, or another conference. For radiologists, it's nice to see the new equipment, but seldom essential.
Make a folder for each day of the meeting. As requests for time, meetings or other obligations arise, place the information in the appropriate folder.
Get the RSNA's meeting guide, On Display at RSNA. This is a crucial guide to the companies sponsoring booths on the technical exhibit floor, and includes a map to help you get your bearings.
Set up vendor meetings before the show opens, or at least as soon as you arrive. Sometimes you can do both a meeting and a tour with a vendor if you arrange it in advance. The popular sessions, such as PACS demonstrations, always fill up quickly, so call or visit the vendor as far in advance as possible.
If you really want to attend an event outside McCormick Place or the adjoining Hyatt, be sure to add in travel time. Leaving the McCormick complex during show hours is rarely worth the time it takes getting to and from an event. A lunch off-site is definitely out of the question.
If possible, plan to see exhibits in the early part of the day, rather than during the afternoon crunch. This will allow you to avoid standing outside waiting for the packed shuttle buses at 6 pm. As a general rule, try to find out what everyone's doing, and then avoid it like the plague.
Whenever possible, meet with vendors outside of floor hours: that is, before or after the show opens. That way you won't be interrupted during your meeting.
Try to avoid doing anything with vendors on Monday and Tuesday, the busiest days of the show. However, the worst day to be on the floor is Thursday, because everyone's gone. Many key people start to leave on Wednesday afternoon. That leaves a three-hour window Wednesday morning. Good luck.
If you're not planning to close an equipment deal by the end of the year, it can be difficult to get a vendor's attention. If you're looking to buy equipment next year, you'll probably hear from them in January.
Make a realistic estimate of how many business cards you'll need during the show. Bring three times that many.
Getting through the dayYou'll be doing a lot of walking, so pack your cross-trainers. It doesn't matter how you look -- it's more important to be comfortable. You can always keep a pair of dress shoes in your purse or briefcase, and then "forget" to put them on.
Stay hydrated. Buy bottled water before you get to McCormick. It costs a fortune at the concessions, and you may not have time to wait in line for it, anyway.
Some vendors give out free water and coffee. Remember where they are so you can find them when you need them.
Keep an eye on your schedule throughout the day. You'll inevitably run into people you know and haven't seen in awhile, so allow yourself extra time between meetings so you can stop and say "hi." If you're really running late, just wave, smile, and keep moving.
Bring your cell phone if you have one. Lines for the payphones are notoriously long at peak hours. If Chicago is outside your cellular network, it's cheaper to rent a cell phone than to pay roaming charges.
There is a great tendency to eat too much, drink too much, and stay out too late. Remember that you've got another long day ahead of you. Eat lightly, drink sparingly, and walk to as many events as possible.
If you must go out on the town, save the serious carousing for later in the week. One bad night on Saturday or Sunday can throw you off for the entire week.
Getting aroundThere are four shuttle bus systems, color-coded red, blue, yellow, and green, to take you to and from your hotel to McCormick Place. Memorize your color and your stop.
The worst time to catch a shuttle bus is right after the booths close at 6 pm, and everyone else is trying to leave at the same time. Try to leave earlier or later.
You can avoid the long cab and shuttle bus lines when the exhibit hall closes by taking the Metra train to downtown Chicago, and then taking a cab or walking to wherever you want to go. The train station is below McCormick Place. Don't let the long lines discourage you -- each train holds hundreds of people, and they usually arrive promptly.
Whatever you do, don't rent a car. Cabs are cheaper. Parking will kill you.
Hang in there. Remember, the meeting only lasts five days.
By Eric BarnesAuntMinnie.com staff writer
November 28, 1999
