August 11, 2019

Bags packed.

Then the nervousness kicks in.

Doubt starts to circulate your mind.

“Should I go to this convention?”

“I don’t know anyone. I’ve never been to (insert host city).”

Don’t worry.

We’ve all been there.

I attended my first professional industry conference in 2002.

It was the first of many firsts.

It was the first time on a plane. The convention I was attending was in Dallas.

It was my first journalism conference.

I was a ball of nerves.

But it was by far one of the game changing events for me that year.

The first one was the FANHS (Filipino American National Historical Society) Conference. Watch my commencement keynote to 2017 graduates here for the full backstory.

In August 2002, Dallas was the host city for the Asian American Journalists Association’s convention.

It was during the dead heat of summer.

Hot. Heavy. Humid.

The next four days was full of discovery.

During those days, the expo hall was full with recruiters. You would need several days to go through it all.

Lines were long to talk to the heavy hitters in the industry.

Panels and sessions were full and seats were hard to find.

I learned how to break into the biz.

I learned what clips were.

I learned what you needed to get internships and get to the next steps.

Since that week 16 years ago, many things have since changed.

New media became online or digital.

Some jobs went away while others were created. Many media companies have merged or acquired.

What hasn’t changed is the connections you walk away with.

The convention experience goes beyond the four days you spend at a convention center or hotel.

I’ve met some incredible people who have become my life-long friends, mentors and sponsors.

I’ve taken part in AAJA game-changing programs like VOICES, Camp AAJA and ELP.

I’ve co-chaired Trivia Bowls and a national convention.

This week, I was named 2018 Member of the year, an honor I wouldn’t have imagined 16 years ago.

That’s all thanks to the first convention I attended in Dallas and the shared experience in that we are all trying to give a voice to the voiceless.

So if you are debating the cost of attending a convention, look at it as a investment in yourself and community.

The return on investment is infinite.