Post-Meeting Power-Up: From Conference Pile to Clinical Practice—How to Organize, Digitize, and Implement Your Conference Meeting Takeaways

Just back from the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology annual meeting, the energy and fresh ideas are still buzzing. If you’re like me, professional meetings leave you inspired but also lugging a pile of handouts, flyers, and business cards—the kind that used to form a neglected stack on my desk until it eventually got buried. Now, my approach is totally different. Here are some favorite tips to help you actively incorporate those takeaways and bring-backs from your professional meetings into your workflow.

First, dump everything out of your tote bag or briefcase—literally everything. Sort through the mix, tossing or recycling anything you don’t need. For handouts and flyers you want to keep, scan them or take photos, and upload them to a digital organizer like Evernote, which makes searching and reviewing info easy later. For business cards, go beyond basic pictures—apps like CamCard, Haystack, BizConnect, Popl, and even Google Lens can scan business cards and add them directly to your phone’s contacts, reducing clutter and saving you time. Organize contacts right away so those networking connections don’t get lost.

After digitizing materials, prioritize new ideas and resources for your clinic. I create Epic smartphrases to capture pearls of wisdom and streamline documentation and patient care. If you discover new tools or protocols you want in your EMR, put in help desk requests to add those items—turn inspiration into action right away.

Finally, schedule your next meeting immediately in your calendar, request the days off, and finish up by completing evaluations and claiming CME credit so nothing slips through the cracks. A little intentional post-meeting organization will keep clutter at bay and ensure all your conference inspiration finds a real place in your clinical practice.

Three Action Steps to Try

• Digitize Your Materials: Scan or photograph all important handouts, flyers, and business cards collected at the meeting. Use apps like Evernote for papers and CamCard or Haystack for business cards, ensuring important information is stored and accessible without physical clutter. ​

• Prioritize and Implement: Review everything you’ve digitized and choose the top three ideas, tips, or resources to incorporate into your daily workflow or clinic. Create EMR smartphrases for documentation efficiency and submit EMR requests for new procedures or content whenever possible.​

• Calendar, Eval, and CME: Put the next meeting on your calendar and request any necessary days off right away. Complete your conference evaluations and claim CME credits to ensure you benefit fully from your professional development

Would love to hear how you turn your conference inspiration into action—share your methods, systems, or favorite tools for making the most of professional meetings in the comments below!