How to Use the Conference App to Schedule Effective Meetings

The International Conference 2018 brought undergraduate students, executives and influential leaders together in New York City for three intensive days. Its programme combined keynote sessions, executive seminars, networking, a writing competition and an impact challenge about the future of work. With so many opportunities competing for attention, the conference app was an important tool for turning a crowded agenda into purposeful conversations.

For Australian attendees, careful planning mattered even more. Travelling from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth involved long flights, different time zones and a limited window for in-person networking. The app could help participants identify the right people, request short meetings and protect enough time for major sessions, rest and follow-up.

Set A Clear Meeting Goal

Before opening the attendee directory, decide what a successful conversation would achieve. You might want feedback on a business idea, advice about entering a particular industry, insight into automation or a connection to someone working in entrepreneurship. A specific goal makes it easier to identify relevant people and write a convincing request.

Keep the desired outcome modest and realistic. A 15-minute meeting is unlikely to produce a job offer or a complete mentoring relationship, but it can lead to one useful recommendation or a follow-up exchange. Write a short personal note in the app that explains your interest and names the subject you would like to discuss.

Build A Useful Attendee Shortlist

Search the directory by organisation, role, sector or professional interest rather than scrolling randomly. Create a shortlist of people whose experience matches your immediate aims, then rank them according to relevance. An Australian student interested in renewable energy, for example, might prioritise an executive working in infrastructure, climate technology or project finance instead of contacting every speaker.

Read available profiles closely before sending invitations. Look for shared interests, university connections, regional links or topics mentioned in a keynote. A relevant connection gives your message a natural starting point and helps avoid the generic “I would love to network” request that is easy to overlook.

Use Time Zones Carefully

New York and Australia have a substantial time difference, and daylight-saving arrangements can complicate calculations. Sydney and Melbourne may be 16 hours ahead of New York during part of the year, while Brisbane does not observe daylight saving. Check the event’s stated local time and confirm the app’s time-zone settings before accepting a meeting.

Allow space for airport transfers, registration, meals and movement between venues. New York travel can be slowed by crowded subway platforms, rain or a delayed taxi, just as a packed tram journey across Melbourne or a late train in Sydney can disrupt a tightly planned day. Leave a buffer between appointments rather than scheduling conversations back-to-back.

Send Better Meeting Requests

A strong request is brief, specific and easy to answer. Mention who you are, why the person’s experience is relevant and what you would like to cover. Suggest two or three time options through the app instead of asking the recipient to solve the scheduling problem.

For example, a student could write: “I am studying commerce in Australia and exploring the effect of automation on entry-level roles. Your work in workforce strategy caught my attention. Could we speak for 15 minutes about the skills employers are likely to value over the next few years?” This gives the recipient enough context without turning the invitation into a biography.

Create A Practical Daily Plan

Use the app’s agenda and calendar functions to combine formal sessions with private appointments. Mark essential keynotes first, then add a small number of meetings around them. Protect time for reviewing notes, eating and moving between locations; networking is less effective when every hour is filled.

Prioritise quality over volume. Three well-matched meetings can create more value than ten rushed conversations. If the app provides reminders or alerts, enable them, but do not rely on notifications alone. Review the schedule each morning and check whether a meeting location, time or participant has changed.

Prepare For A Strong Conversation

Research each person immediately before meeting them, using the profile information and any public professional details available. Prepare two thoughtful questions and one concise explanation of your own interests. The aim is to create a two-way discussion, not to deliver a memorised pitch.

Leadership can also be demonstrated without holding a formal title. A short resource on leading without authority can help students frame examples of initiative from university projects, community organisations or casual work. Australian employers often value evidence of collaboration, judgement and initiative, so connect your questions to real experiences rather than relying on broad claims.

Follow Up While The Connection Is Fresh

After each meeting, record a private note in the app or in a separate document. Capture the person’s advice, any promised introduction and the next action you agreed to take. This is particularly useful after a busy conference day, when several conversations may begin to sound alike.

Send a concise follow-up within 24 to 48 hours. Refer to one specific point from the discussion and state the next step clearly, such as sharing a project summary or arranging a later video call. Respect privacy and professional boundaries when storing contact details; Australia’s Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles provide an important reminder to collect and use personal information responsibly.

A conference app works best as a planning system, not as a substitute for preparation or genuine conversation. Set a clear objective, choose relevant people, account for Australian time differences and travel realities, then leave room to listen. The practical takeaway is simple: schedule fewer meetings, prepare for each one and record the next step before moving to the next session.