For my sixth post on how to get lucky and increase your luckortunity, I am going to suggest going to a convention of 
some sort on a topic of interest. I cannot explain the amount of luckortunity that is just floating around at every convention or conference, seminar, tradeshow, other similar event. It is a short period of time where tens to hundreds to thousands of people gather in one area with a common interest. No matter what it is, you will be able to find some sort of event for your topic. Some might be easy to find locally such as small business seminars, others you might have to fly out to the convention capital, Las Vegas for such as the Swizzle Stick convention and some you might be able to find somewhere in between. A quick Google search will help you out.
Almost anyone you ask that has been to a convention will tell you that at they experienced what is called a “conference high”. You get to spend a good chunk of time doing nothing but networking with people that have the same interest as you, many of whom are in the industry, listening to some of the top speakers on the subject and seeing what is new in the industry. The conference leaves you supercharged with all sorts of energy and ideas, not to mention the contacts you made and the pockets full of business cards.
If you have a true interest in the topic, your mind will overflow with new information, new ideas and new practices. Once again, this convention must be on a topic of your interest. If you go to a tradeshow for work and are only there because you need to be there, you will not have the same experience. That is why I am suggesting taking a topic that you would enjoy even in your spare time and find the show to go to. It could be a comic book convention, a hacker’s convention, an advertising convention or a convention on one of a million other topics. There are many shows over weekends that you can go to. I would even suggest planning a vacation around your favorite convention because what you get out of it will be priceless.
Just make sure that when you leave the conference, you take something with you to keep the conference high going. That is where luckortunity comes into play. The convention will give you all of the opportunities; your job is to open up your eyes and see them, take them home and then follow up on them. This could mean getting more involved in one of your hobbies, getting a job through a show contact in an area or company that you are interested in or even pushing yourself to turn your interest into your own business based on ideas that you came up with or took interest in while you were there.
The most important thing to remember is that Luckortunity is what you make of it. Just like the apple orchard that Professor Wiseman speaks of, going to a convention is like finding an area with baskets filled with the best apples. You have to take those apples back with you if you want them to mean anything.
Previous Posts in this Series: 10 Ways to Increase your Luck.