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With some major conferences coming up, Laura offers her tips for getting the most from the menu of speakers

1 Choose good speakers over favourite subjects: If they’re that good it’ll be worth hearing them whatever they’re talking about. And you really don’t want a bad speaker to put you off your favourite subject.

2 Choose practitioners over PR guys: Give me unusual life experience, a story, some personal passion, perhaps something genuinely memorable, rather than a long-winded pitch for something self-explanatory (and in the goodie bag anyway).

3 Choose curiosity over confirmation bias: While it’s nice to sit there and think, “See, I was right, yes, I did know everything,” there will be some other subjects, perhaps the edgier ones, where you see the title and have questions or doubts. The clue is that you’re hoping your colleague goes to it and tells you all about it afterwards. Just go yourself. Ditch the sensible option for the intriguing one.

4 Choose teachers over theorists: Some people have years of professional practice and training so that when they stand in front of a crowd it is engaging. They don’t just know their stuff; they know how to take you on a journey with it. They might even – shock – make it interactive, or use creative learning methods. But some, on the other hand, would honestly rather you just read their book so they don’t have to explain it to you. Spot the difference.

5 Choose diversity over the usual suspects: There will always be the crowd pullers. You may have even heard their talk, their stories, their less-funny-the-third-time jokes. Instead, cheer on and encourage the first-timer, the fresh-faced, the maverick, the niche talent, possibly the one who looks, thinks or acts differently to the predictable names. Who knows – years later you might be saying, “I heard them in their early days.”

6 Or, choose coffee over seminars: There’s only so much information for one day. Bump into someone classy and chat to them instead. Guaranteed: that’ll be the bit you’ll remember first when you get home.