As of right now, ACHE Congress is taking place. If you’ve been in the industry for any amount of time, you know Congress very well. And what you can get out of the Congress, or any other such conference for that matter, is quite different from when you were first entering the industry and soaking up information (hopefully) from scheduled sessions.

As a seasoned exec, it’s unlikely there will be many sessions where you hear something you’ve never heard before. If you’ve gone to these conferences enough times, you’ve probably been exposed to the same or similar content at previous sessions. Still, you’re making the investment—of both time and money—each year to attend. What keeps you coming back? Well, it should be something memorable. Think about the last Congress you attended. I know for me, I glean a pearl or two from a session. But the most meaningful elements of the conference were when I connected with a colleague over dinner or grabbed a coffee with an inspiring new CEO contact.

Sessions can be particularly powerful as an emerging leader or early careerist. But in general these events are designed for the masses—literally thousands of people. You need to, especially as a veteran exec, seek ways to intentionally purpose to get more out of the event than the programming you know entirely too well. To get a return on your investment, you must seek out connections — like the coffee chat with a like-minded peer. Don’t be satisfied with the conversations planned for the masses.

Just as I told aspiring leaders last week, it’s not enough to just be present at the conference. You need to be actively involved. And the components of being actively involved after years in the industry is different than what’s required to be actively involved as an entry-level professional. For the latter, it is enough to attend the sessions, ask questions, take notes and be engaged in that way. But if you’ve already got the information, and have put it into practice to the point where it’s second nature, then the sessions probably won’t be the exclusive space where you can turn a costly event into an opportunity.

Your opportunity lies in relationships—keeping ones you developed from prior events warm and lighting the match for new connections.

 What about you? How do you get the most out of conferences you attend regularly?