Hey readers! Welcome to this week’s OT Conference series post. This post is all about how to navigate the AOTA Conference using the conference app “AttendeeHub”. This app is amazing because without it, you may feel a bit overwhelmed when you step through the conference doors. There will be thousands of people and so many presentations you can choose from. Doing a little bit of work ahead of time will make your conference experience much smoother because you will know what presentations you want to see and where they will be held.
The app can be found in the app store by searching “CrowdCompass AttendeeHub.” Download the app, then search “AOTA” and select AOTA Conference 2020. Then have fun scrolling through the various presentations, workshops, discussions, and keynote speakers and adding the ones you want to attend to your schedule. Check out the corresponding IGTV video on my Instagram page!
What To Attend
Some presentations and events I highly recommend attending include the Keynote Address and Welcoming Ceremony on Thursday evening, #AOTA20 Social Media Meet Up Friday at 12:30pm, Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture on Friday evening, and the Expo Hall throughout the conference weekend.
The Welcoming Ceremony
The welcoming ceremony is a huge celebration of OT and of the start of the conference. OTs from around the country come together for this conference to share their knowledge and connect with others who share a passion for this field. Standing in the welcome ceremony last year, I could feel the excitement and passion in the air. I hope you get to experience this with me this year!
Social Media Meet Up
The Social Media Meet Up is a great way to connect with your favorite OT bloggers, Instagrammers, and tweeters. I hope to see you there! I will also be attending the meet up specifically for the Instagram community, which is being put together by other fabulous OTs. It is Thursday at noon, location TBA!
The Expo Hall
Finally, the Expo Hall features tons of amazing OT equipment, devices, tools, toys, clothing, and more! Check out the booths in the Expo hall for free goodies, to connect with potential employers, and to try to win a free board certification exam!
For Students
As a student, I also added some student-specific presentations to my schedule, such as tips and strategies to pass the board certification exam, a new practitioner panel, and how to transition from new grad to new practitioner. I am also adding some presentations by my professors, peers, and friends, as well as topics that are important to me. I will be adding more and filling in my schedule as the conference gets closer. I’m so excited! (More to come on specific presentations for students later.)
Other Features
The app has other features that you may find helpful during the conference, including a list of exhibitors, information about speakers and presenters, continuing education information, a map and guide to Boston, and information on how to get presentation handouts. Check out all of these features in the app!
Be sure to also leave yourself time to explore the beautiful city of Boston, as well! In case you missed them, my previous OT Conference Series posts have included what to do in Boston and some of my favorite restaurants. Check those out for a guide to the city!
Thanks for reading!
Allison The OT 
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