Thursday Tunnel Talk - Why attend a professional conference?

K. Bringhurst 20180607

After a long day of excellent technical presentations, magnificent tours of local wind tunnels, and stunning tours of England's attractions, I sit in my hotel room and reflect upon my fourth day of the annual Subsonic Aerodynamic Testing Association (SATA) conference. While this isn't my first time at a professional conference, SATA reminds me how important it is to network with professionals within your specific industry.

A different perspective can clear a foggy mind

Going through the daily grind gets old after a while, even if you love your job. It's not that the routine is droning or unenjoyable, but rather we become complacent in our work simply because we do it every day. Conferences provide opportunities to get away for a while, experience a change of scenery all the while stimulating your mind in new ways with a collaborative environment, like taking a 5 minute break to get away from your desk after a 55 minute power through but times 500.

Conferences are comic-cons for the professional industry. They're events where like minded individuals get together and nerd out for a few days or so. You're likely to chat with someone about a problem you're currently trying to solve and while they may not have an answer (or maybe they do!), they will definitely give you a different perspective. Sometimes that's all it takes to clear the fog and prime the mind for that "a-ha" moment.

"People talk in bars" - Gary Romberg

As you meet new people during the conference, you may find yourself seeing one of them at the bar. While the technical sessions may be over, the technical thoughts and conversations never end for an engineer. It's part of our subconscious make-up to theorize, process, analyze, validate, and verify. We're doing it all the time and usually don't realize it. In the company of your people, you feel confident approaching the person at the bar and continuing conversation over some mind-freeing beverages. And this, my friend, is where the magic begins.

Gary is absolutely right, people talk in bars. Not only are you building a relationship with that person in the bar by sharing stories, you are learning the harder, more private lessons that are never in the technical sessions. Despite what most people think, engineers are not robots, we're people too. Like most people, the human element is very important to us and our professions. Since we can't think of everything, we need other humans to help out every now and then. But before we can pick up the phone and call, a relationship must be built first. Only afterwards, can we solve more problems together.

Building relationships builds your future

All engineers are a little socially awkward, which is a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing because most of the time we don't care what other people think. It's a curse because building relationships doesn't come naturally. Conferences provide the opportunity to overcome that awkward social barrier and build new, lifelong relationships with people that will help build your future. After all, it's all about who you know.

So get out there, be social, and find your professional comic-con