Save your time and energy for what matters
Why mapping matters
Imagine that you are at a conference. A big one: dozens of tracks running simultaneously, an exhibition, a large, buzzing conference venue. Serendipitously, you run into an old friend after a plenary talk. They live in a different country now, and you haven’t seen them in years.
“Are you free now? Why don’t we get a coffee?” you ask.
“Sure!” they say. “Where should we go?”
Then you both spend the next five minutes (or more) on your phones, not talking, trying to find a place that’s open and nearby, but not too nearby because anything immediately adjacent to the conference venue will be slammed. Oh, also, the coffee shop has to have good reviews.
Now, imagine an alternate universe, and instead, when they ask “Where should we go?” you smile and say “I know a great place.” Instead of messing around on your phones, you just walk out of there, catching up as you go.
There are dozens of moments like this at conferences. You can’t find the room with the poster session, only to realize it’s in another building. Or the alumni reception is offsite somewhere, and only when you are 5 minutes late already do you discover it is a 20 minute walk from the conference venue.
Each of those moments doesn’t take a lot of time. But they add up and they add a small layer of stress, in an environment that is already short on time and long on stress. This is why doing some advance preparation reviewing maps will help you get more from your conference experience. The virtual tour of your destination pays off in saved time, preserved energy, and reduced stress.
What you want to map
The two main maps you want to explore are your conference venue and the neighborhood around your venue and lodgings.
The conference venue
The bigger the conference, the more value you will get out of looking at the conference venue. Big conferences can spread across large convention centers or sprawling campuses with many buildings. By spending time reviewing the map and identifying where your points of interest are, you reduce the chance (and stress) of getting lost, wasting time, or running late.
Before you leave home, take a few minutes to find and bookmark a digital map of the venue.
- Conference Map: Find and bookmark a map of the conference venue. This is especially important for large conferences across multiple buildings.
- Familiarization: Study the venue map and identify key locations, such as where your talk or poster session will take place and the locations of any important sessions or events.
- Offsite Events: Sometimes receptions or other special events are held outside of the conference venue. Locate where any offsite events will be happening and check transit times.
The neighborhood
You have needs, personal and professional, outside the conference venue. These include how you are going to get from your hotel to the venue, where you’re going to eat or set up meetings, spaces for fitness, and more. Take a look at the surrounding neighborhood to anchor yourself:
- Your Commute: Verify the distance between your lodging and the conference venue. Make a plan for how you will commute between the two (walking, train, car, etc.) and how long that will take.
- Restaurants and Coffee Shops: Identify nearby restaurants and coffee shops that you can use for your meetings or to ensure you have healthy food options.
- Eating healthy at conferences can be tricky; identifying restaurants in advance that meet your dietary needs and standards is a way to support a healthy diet while traveling.
- Groceries: Locate and save your nearest grocery store so that you can pick up snacks to keep in your room or conference bag. This will help you to not go too long without eating and to have healthy snack alternatives readily available.
- Pharmacy: Locate and save your nearest pharmacy and note its hours, in case you need any medicines or first aid supplies.
- Outdoor Spaces: Note and save any nearby parks or walking paths in case you plan to spend some time outside or go for a walk as part of your self-care.
- Gym and Fitness: Identify and save gyms or fitness studios where you might want to plan some time for exercise.
As you identify these items, pin them in your favorite mapping application and/or record their addresses somewhere for easy reference.
Mapping is an investment
Performing this kind of digital reconnaissance is a gift to your future conference self. Scoping out the territory beforehand saves precious time and mental decision-making bandwidth for what actually matters: being at the conference, connecting with people, learning, and enjoying the experience. Map it out!
First published in the Virtuous Cycles Newsletter on 23.10.2026
by Christina C. C. Willis
