How to enjoy a conference without burning out

By SofiaBalderson @ 2024-12-02T13:42 (+31)

TL;DR: Know your limits and prime time. Set priorities. Schedule less than you think you can do. Know how you recharge best. Take breaks.

Why I’m Writing This

After attending many EA and animal welfare conferences for a couple of years, I often ended up burnt out, needing time off or feeling drained for days. From my experience in the movement so far, this seems pretty common. This was especially challenging in a leadership role, where my team might need me back at full capacity right after the conference.

I realized the best solution was to pace myself and avoid burnout altogether. When you’re exhausted, not only does the conference become less productive, but it may be harder for others to engage with you if they see you’re tired.

At the recent CARE (Conference of Animal Rights in Europe), I took a different approach—being mindful of my limits and setting strict boundaries. I enjoyed the conference a lot, and my team noticed how much energy I had even on the last day, which was important to me as a community builder. Encouraged by others, I’m sharing what worked for me.

I've also written a few other posts about how to take advantage of conferences which you may find useful: How to Make Your First EAG a Success and Using Google Calendar to organize your conference. 

Know Your Limits

I used to think I was an extrovert, but after doing 10 hours of back-to-back 1:1s at an EAG, I realized I’m less of an extrovert than I thought. Past a certain point, interactions stopped being enjoyable, and I just wanted to go back to the hotel and stare at a wall.

Now, I know my limit is about 6 hours of socializing a day. Beyond that, I feel tired, and the quality of my interactions suffers. It also depends on the type of socializing—dinner with close friends feels restorative, while meeting new people can drain me if I’m already at my limit. 

It’s normal to have limits, even if you’re a community builder or love talking to people. Don’t feel bad about it—knowing your boundaries helps you make the most of your time.

Sometimes there is external pressure to get more done from whoever sponsored you to attend the conference, for example, your boss. It’s important to remember that only you know your limits and it’s in your team’s interest to ensure that you benefit from the conference and not burn out. It’s all about results and sustainability, not about how many meetings you end up having.

Know Your Prime Time

At conferences, I perform best in the mornings and afternoons, so I prioritize scheduling my most important meetings during those times. Since I’m based in the UK, this adjusts depending on time zones—when I’m in the US, I tend to be an early bird, while in Asia, I prefer scheduling meetings later in the day.

Some people swear by evening events like dinners and parties for impactful conversations, but this depends on your energy, goals and preferences. Experiment to find when you’re at your best and which activities are the most impactful for you, and prioritize that.

For me, a balanced day looks roughly like:

• Option 1: 9 AM–12 PM meetings, break for most of the afternoon, social dinner event.
• Option 2: 11 AM–5 PM meetings, dinner on my own or with a close friend, then rest.

Late nights and early mornings rarely mix—you’ll likely feel drained and less effective. In-person meetings are often your chance to make a strong first impression. Being energetic, refreshed, and focused makes it easier to build good relationships.

Set Your Priorities (and Stick to Them)

Before the conference, decide on 2–3 main goals. Then plan your schedule around them. 

It’s tempting to overcommit by wanting to meet everyone and attend all the talks, but an average attendee probably has around 16-20 hours to engage, which fill up quickly. That's why it's important to focus and be clear about what you want to achieve. Your goals will lead to trade-offs you will have to make to have a productive conference.

For example, at AVA DC (Animal Advocacy Summit), I knew I had to focus on fundraising, but I also wanted to meet as many advocates from other countries as I could. Because we also ran a networking session, I couldn't meet as many people as I wanted, and felt disappointed in the end because I wasn't realistic in my planning. I rectified my mistake at CARE: since fundraising wasn’t the goal, I could focus on doing our networking meetings and my talk well, as well as meeting as many people from Europe as I wanted. But this meant that I had to deprioritise the talks and watch them online later.

Some tips to maximize your time:

• Group meetings: If several people want to discuss the same topic, consider hosting a group session or informal office hours.
• Delegate: If you have a team, divide meetings based on expertise or fit. At Hive, we usually have a pre-conference meeting where each of us defines their goals for the conference, and we make sure each person uses their comparative advantages. We try not to take meetings together unless it’s beneficial to maximise our team’s time.
• It’s ok to say no to a meeting or dinner request: it’s not doing anyone any favors if you agree to a meeting that you either don’t have the energy for, or think it won’t be as valuable for either party. A good template would be “Thanks so much for reaching out - I have unfortunately run out of slots, but please feel free to add me on XYZ”.
• Schedule an online meeting instead but keep your future availability and focus in mind.

I deprioritize talks, as I find meetings more valuable for my role, but this varies. If a talk interests me, I watch the recording later. While some use talks as a break from socializing, I find they add cognitive overload since my focus is on information exchange.

Know How You Recharge and Take Breaks

Everyone recharges differently. For me, recognizing early signs of tiredness—like losing interest in conversations—helps me avoid pushing too far. 

A good overall rule of thumb: schedule less than you think you can handle. It’s easier to stay longer if you have energy, but canceling meetings last-minute can feel awkward.

Some strategies I use:

• Schedule no more than two 1:1s in a row.
• Take a 30-minute to 1-hour break for every hour of meetings. Use this time to grab a snack or a drink, stretch your legs or rest. Some of these breaks can sometimes serve as an extension of a good conversation.
• Walking 1:1s have become popular - don’t be too shy to ask your 1:1 to go for a stroll around the block, or if it rains, around the venue.
• I find that I get less noise overload if my 1:1s are in quiet spaces rather than designated meeting spots. Even if it takes me 5 minutes to walk to a different space, it’s worth it.
• Rushing between meetings can contribute to your overall stress. I have started setting an alarm for 5 minutes before the end of each meeting which helps me to walk to the next meeting slowly.
• Utilize quiet rooms at conferences for naps or downtime. My recent top tip is to have a 1.5h break right in the middle of my day for the quiet room, especially if I booked a longer day.
• Bring noise-canceling headphones to switch off in noisy spaces for a quick break.
• Arrange time with friends—it can recharge you and boost your energy, even if you're prioritizing meeting new people.
• Building on the previous point: it’s important not to focus solely on activities you believe are the most impactful but to also include meet-ups, talks, and meetings that you’ll enjoy simply for their own sake. For instance, I always make a point to include some sightseeing during my trips.
• If you have a retreat or another event before or after the main conference, schedule a substantial break (at least 4 hours or ideally, a day) for your favorite recharging activity.

• Some recharging activities that work for me: listening to my favourite music, going for a short stroll either on my own or with a friend I know well, lying down for a while in a quiet room or in my hotel. 

   

Stretch the Conference Over More Days (If Possible)

When conferences are spread out, it’s easier to pace yourself. For example, CARE’s Thursday-to-Sunday format, with a co-working day on Monday, felt less rushed than typical Friday-to-Sunday events. You can arrive a little earlier or stay for longer, as many attendees do that too, and use the extra days to meet more people at a more relaxed pace.

Varying the structure of your days can also help. At CARE, I had meet-ups on Thursday, 1:1s on Friday and Saturday, a mini team retreat on Sunday, and co-working on Monday. This variety kept my energy high throughout. Of course you have to balance this with your need to get back to work, as in-person conferences are already a big investment both with your team, money and the opportunity cost. 

These strategies have helped me stay energized and make the most of conferences. I hope they can help you too! I would love to hear your tips on how to benefit from a conference without burning out.