miles of abbie

• Take pictures of everything, you never know what might turn into an article.
• As a follow up to the first point, take notes about or use a voice recorder for everything.  Again, you never know what you might use for an article.
• Get business cards, and write a quick note/description on the back to remind you who the person was.  I collected business cards like nobody’s business and forgot who half the people were.
• Be sure to find out the calling rate for calling long distance on the phone in the lobby, even if you have to hang up and call the operator.  Otherwise, you might check your bank account and find a $40 charge even though you only left a voicemail.
• If you are polite and make conversation with people, you will make connections.  If you don’t make conversation, or you make strange/awkward conversation, you will not make connections.
• Take the time to talk to people, even if it means spending less time taking pictures or notes you never know when you might run into that person again, especially if they are in PR or another writer.
• People will be jealous that you get to travel for free, but they don’t realize that the trips are a lot of work and a lot of schmoozing.  Some people find that fun, anyway, and luckily I am one of those people

What tips can you add?

Spencer – I would add taking a credit card you don’t use. Something with like a $500 or $1000 limit on it. Although these are “press” trips, hotels still typically run your card and put an authorization for “incidentals”. You of course get that back, but it shows up on your card until after you check out. I’ve had places I’ve gone on press trips before run it for as much as $400. You don’t won’t that showing up on your debit card!

AdventureRob – Don’t make long distance calls using phones at all, use Skype, much cheaper, especially internationally.