> If there are time conflicts for sessions you want to attend (I > found a couple of instances of 3 at the same time at the NGA > conference in Nashville last year), check whether tapes are (or will > be) available for any of those sessions. If the presenters have > sessions at earlier times, sit in on them and see whose presentation > style works best for you. Don't count on getting tapes. The company formerly holding the contract for taping NGS and other conferences will no longer be doing it, and so far no new contract has been set up, to my knowledge. And most presenters will not allow you to tape their presentations. Every session leader will have a handout in the huge and heavy notebook given to everyone registered. Some of them just read the handout without more comment. By this time I know who works that way, and I usually skip them; I can read for myself. Their material is good and their knowledge great but they add nothing more than is written, so I head for the sessions I know will be livelier and afford more opportunity for questions and answers. These are easy to spot - there's always a line outside those doors. A computer case on wheels comes in handy to transport all the material you'll be collecting - better for me than a bookbag and easier to handle in the crowds. One of my favorite parts of any conference is the vendors' area. Bring money, a checkbook and a credit card. If you can't buy it right away, get the vendor's card, make notes and a wish list. In addition to focusing on presentations specifically aimed at your area of research, try to listen in on sessions on general methodology, citing sources, and evidence, which will always be useful. JHall [email protected]