This post was originally shared through a blog I wrote for Parc. View the original post at http://parc.ophea.net/article/making-most-iplc2017.

The International Physical Literacy Conference (IPLC) is coming to the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto, April 12-15, 2017. The IPLC is designed to bring together sport, health, education and recreation experts and practitioners, and policy-makers from across Canada and around the world to advance the knowledge, application and implementation of physical literacy programming across the globe. The conference will engage leaders, practitioners and stakeholders of physical literacy from around the world in a truly collaborative and innovative environment – and just happens to be the first place my book with Human Kinetics, Physical Literacy On The Move, will appear.

PARC and Ophea are very excited to be participating in this year’s IPLC. As a PARC Trainer, and H&PE Consultant with Ophea, I will be leading two workshops at #IPLC2017, so have complied my top five list for getting the most out of your conference experience!

1. Start following the hashtag NOW!

See who else is getting excited about #IPLC2017 and start connecting. Learn what they’re looking forward to and where they’re coming from. People come from around the world to this conference, so let’s get excited for a global physical literacy uprising together. Also, don’t forget to follow @S4L_SPV and @parcontario on Twitter. (And me too! @CatchingHeather)

2. Be prepared!

Many of the workshops at #IPLC2017 are active, so wear your runners and be dressed to move. Also consider bringing a water bottle, healthy snacks, and possibly an extra shirt for a quick change – you never know when a DancePl3y flash mob will break out!

3. Plan your workshops now.

Why wait? Sure, from years of attending and presenting at HPE conferences I know the first evening is usually reserved for sitting around with your team, and a few drinks, and making your conference workshop picks. “Ok, I’ll trade you a Getting Active After-School workshop in time slot B3 (Thursday April 13th) for an Addressing the Gender Gap in Physical Literacy workshop in time slot D3 (Friday April 14th)” Don’t wait! Make those picks now! Check out the workshop descriptions and conference festivities on IPLC website.

4. Leave the pen, bring your smart phone.

Why worry about missing an important fact while copying notes from a Power Point when you can just take a photo of the slide and keep on learning. This also applies to resources, videos of games, dances, or activities – don’t worry about writing the rules or steps, catch it in live action for later reference. Even better yet tweet that out (referencing the presenter of course – or even better, tag them directly in the tweet) and share it with the entire physical literacy community. If it’s inspired you, it’ll be guaranteed to inspire someone else. Don’t forget the hashtag #IPLC2017.

5. Be open to new ideas!

Take risks and move out of you comfort zone when it comes to new experiences, and learning. Try activities that are new and be open to new ideas and ways of thinking and doing. Attending a conference of this calibre is about connecting with people. So, be sure to bring a great level of energy, pack a water bottle, and most importantly have fun!