Are you feeling overwhelmed by TPT conference planning? Does the nitty gritty planning feel like a giant jigsaw puzzle? To make it easier, I have compiled all the links and helpful tips you need for last minute planning into one blog post!
We had a terrible storm this week with tornado-like winds that created lots of damage and power outages in my part of Pennsylvania. After a seven day camping trip, my family returned home to two days without power. So much for modern conveniences!
I was just itching to get organized for my trip to Las Vegas for the 2015 TPT Conference. As soon as the power clicked on yesterday, I ran for my computer. With conference registration, travel arrangements, and hotel accommodations out of the way, it was now time to plan all the small details of this adventure.
I must say, the planning process was not as easy as I had imagined. It felt like a scavenger hunt of sorts, trying to track down all of the necessary information from various sources. After reading many blogs, emails, Facebook pages, and forum posts about the conference, I quickly discovered that a binder would be necessary to keep everything organized. I headed to Target and picked up a binder, divider tabs, a pocket folder, and some loose leaf paper. I highly recommend a binder if you are going to the conference. 🙂
To make things easier for you, I have compiled a list of all the web places I visited in order to get myself organized for TPT Conference 2015. Here is the original conference site, but I found many other sites with important information. If you know about any other shortcuts or great resources, please comment below so I can add them to the list.
First, go to your email and search for your own “TPT Conference Confirmation”. It is a great place to start. This email tells you the conference session numbers that you signed up for at registration.
Then, go here to identify the session names and times.
Next, you will want to go here to print the session materials. Just scroll to the bottom of the blog post and click on each of your sessions. It will take you to a TPT store where you can download the handouts.
I organized my session materials using divider tabs. Each divider tab tells the session number, name, day and time.
After that, go here and print out the TPT Vegas 2015 Official Program Guide. It is a two page guide that is very helpful in creating your schedule. It also shows you the meeting location for each session.
This editable schedule freebie from Cassie Thompson was extremely helpful for the next step. You can download and then edit your own schedule in a PowerPoint document. I created a schedule for myself from flight departure to return landing. It includes all of my sessions, plus the conference check in times, networking opportunity, welcome reception, continental breakfast, keynote, and happy hour. All of these things can be found in the program guide. Seeing it layed out in this format made everything really come together. I printed this for my binder.
While making the schedule, I did some research on the various meet-ups that will be happening throughout the event. Here are links to the meet-ups that I found. These are all separate from your conference registration through TPT. I signed up for the gatherings that I plan to attend using Facebook and then added them to my schedule. There are name tags that you will want to customize and print for these meet-ups. Click below for more information about each meet-up.
Full Time on TPT Meet Up- Wed. 7/8 (12:00 P.M)- Grand Luxe Cafe at The Pallazo- sorry I can’t find a link for this one. Please let me know if you have the scoop.
Make a Splash Teacher Bash– Wed. 7/8 (1:00-4:00 P.M.)- The Venetian Pool
Cool Kid Meet and Greet– Wed. 7/8 (4:00 P.M.)- B & B Burger & Beer. . .this event is now full, but you can add your name to the waiting list.
4th Annual Blogger Meet Up– Wed. 7/8 (6:30 P.M.)- The Venetian Conference Center
Go Noodle Meet Up: Cabana Day– Thurs. 7/9 (12-7:00 P.M.)- The Venetian Pool
SELLERbrate TPT Secondary Meet Up– Thurs. 7/9 (6:30 P.M)- The Rockhouse Bar at The Venetian
Kick Back With the Primary Pack– Fri. 7/10 (7:30 P.M.)- The Bourbon Room at The Venetian
In the back of my binder, I added a pocket folder with my conference registration, flight itinerary, hotel, and transport information. I also included my business cards. I added some extra loose leaf paper in the back for note taking.
Finally, I used this editable binder cover by Student Savvy to create a cute inner cover page for my binder that includes my name and logo.
There is one more helpful tip that I came across in my planning that is worth sharing. The Venetian offers a free app that you can download on your phone! It has an easy to use navigation system to help with directions throughout the hotel, as well as restaurant menus and other useful information.
I hope this post will make your planning experience a little easier. I am so excited to meet many of my blog friends in Vegas very shortly! Maybe we will see each other there! My bright pink and green binder should be easy to spot in the crowd. 😉
WOW Thank you so much! I am going to totally copy everything you did! I already printed out all the conference notes that are offered, but now I need a cute binder and some more stuff. Thanks again!CarolTeachers Are Terrific!
Awesome! I'm so glad it was helpful! I love Target for all things beautiful! 🙂
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I really appreciate this! Amy 3 Teacher Chicks soon to be That Teaching Spark
This is very useful, especially seeing the pictures of your binder. Thanks! For people who can't use the app you mentioned because they don't have smartphones, I found a downloadable map of the Venetian which they might find useful: http://www.venetian.com/content/dam/lasvegas/venetian/master/main/home/hotel/map.pdf– SusanThe ESL Connection
Thank you for sharing this! I'm a paper type of gal. :)SusanTeaching Doodles
This was on my to do list for the week. Thank you for saving my hours of stress and my sanity! Now I just need to pick up my custom t-shirts and I am ready!
Love this Chrissie!! I am saving this and using it as my go-to guide! Thank you so much!-Maria
Love it! Excited to see you in Vegas (you too Maria) and in Philly!Brynn AllisonThe Literary Maven
Love your ideas Chrissie! I already put my session handouts in a bound notebook, but I like your idea of the binder and tabs – next year! Hope to meet you there!SuzanneKindergarten Planet
Thank you so much for sharing these conference tips and organizational ideas! I organized my TPT Vegas handouts and wrote out my schedule today and I feel ready for the conference. Our flight is on Tuesday afternoon. Hope to meet you there! Jessicca The Third Grade Zoo
So glad I saw your post in the forums, I don't think I ever would have found the program guide without it. Very useful!SusanTeaching Doodles
Wow Chrissie, what a wonderfully helpful blog post!Thanks for sharing all of your hard work – and pictures of your very cute binder!I hope to meet you in Las Vegas!:o) Pam Hedgehog Reader
This was super helpful in my "getting organized" process! Thank so much for posting this!
Wow, this is so helpful! I have been really excited, yet also really overwhelmed this week. Thank you for all of this information 🙂 It is sure to help!JenniferPages Of Grace
Thank you for great information. I have not been able to locate a handout for Friday's session on Facebook and TPT. Has anyone found it?
This is exactly what I needed. I would have walked into the sessions so underprepared without your post. Thank you!
I really appreciate this post! Thank you so much for taking the time to lay all of this out. Me and my procrastination thanks you immensely!