For the event make sure you bring easy to remove layers of clothing, you will be hot from dancing and then cooling down as you will be listening and writing.
Always, always, always ensure you have plenty of water. Buy it from small shops in the side-streets near your hotel and don’t waste your hard earned cash on overpriced water at the event.
Get some seeds and nut mixes. I love the Food doctor range, they taste great, come in small packages or slightly larger tubs, they regulate your blood sugar and give you energy when you need it without having to reach for a mars bar!
Try to eat little and often throughout the event, bananas, fruit and wraps are great. Don’t buy the burgers, pizza’s etc generally on sale at the event, not only are they expensive but they are no good for you at all!
Bring a small pack of baby wipes for the first night! Don’t ask why but you will thank me for this tip so will the people you offer them too, especially the women. Tissues are also a great thing to bring, the supermarkets sell small packs of these and they should be a part of your backpack.
Make sure you have at least 4 pens, an extra notebook as many people find they don’t have enough room to record all their thoughts, but make it a nice book that you will treasure. A great backpack to hold all your stuff and your notes is a must, not an expensive one just a good functional one will do with lots of pockets for your food, drink, pens etc. TK Max do some great deals on these sorts of bags. Sometimes camera’s are not allowed but you can use your phone to take pictures and video.
Write your name in BIG letters on all your workbooks because if they get lost they are always handed in to the account managers and they will return them to you. It might help to also have ID in your backpack, just in case.
If you are going with friends or relatives do not under any circumstance sit next to them or even near them. You will be going crazy over this weekend and in order to do that you must be yourself and have no inhibitions at all. You may also need to discuss sensitive information that may be about them! They may not like this at this stage so the best thing to do is avoid the chance by sitting apart. If you are next to your spouse and you have always been mild and meek and suddenly you are a complete nutter then she will look at you and think you are definitely going mad, even though she may be doing the same! You can catch up with them at breaks and in the evening, and after all you have the rest of your lives to discuss the event and experience new things. Enjoy the prospect of meeting new friends and getting out of your comfort zone.
One of the most important tips is this, have fun, go back to being a child, sing, dance, jump, shout, laugh, smile and play full on. Get involved in every activity, dance to every song, clap until your hands hurt and allow yourself to change to become the person you dream about.
Make sure you get e-mail address’ phone numbers etc from the people you meet. I have made some fantastic friends through Tony’s events and I am so glad I brought lots of business cards with me. You can get some free at Vistaprint Keep in touch and hold each other accountable for what you commit to.
If you plan on eating out on the meager meal break, plan on waiting in line most of the time and then wolfing down your food, or like I had to once, finally asking them to pack it up to go. The restaurants close-by are never prepared for the onslaught.
Why not get a group of you together and have one person go out for food, or buy it before hand and bring it with you. There’s usually a food stand in the lobby that sells yogurt, sandwiches and salads, I’d sneak out during a quick break and buy my food ahead of time so I could enjoy the meal break, meet other people etc.
Great advice is to have lots of sleep before the event so you are mentally and physically at your peak state to learn.
Don’t arrange to phone home at a certain time because this could be difficult - leave the arrangements flexible because you WON’T want to leave the room whilst Tony’s talking. Also make sure your phone is turned OFF, you don’t want to interrupt your own thinking for a phone call!
If you need the loo, run for it whilst the group massages are in progress as these normally last 5 Min’s whilst a record is being played out.
Another tip is to have a good breakfast at the hotel before you arrive because that will keep you going. I sometimes take my own food bags and see if there’s anything I can take away from the breakfast buffet that will do me during the day (discretely of course!)
Pick up a bottle of body spray. Use it throughout the event.
1) smell is one of the strongest anchors and whenever you want to have an outstanding day later you can spray it on and remember the wonderful times you had.
2)you are dancing and standing and sweating. It’s a whole kindness thing.
Also positively absolutely do not eat garlic or onions at all. These food seep out through your pores and waft through the air especially onions. Ever notice onions and BO smell very very much alike?
I can say it is absolutely imperative that you bring throat lozenges. I screamed my voice out sometime Saturday and kept screaming through the Monday session.
If there’s one thing I will bring this time, it’s handcream…!
All that clapping, and the air conditioning in the room dries your skin out too much!!
Which is why it’s so important to keep re-hydrating.
Finally and most important, sleep well each night, don’t drink alcohol and relax, this is hard because you will be buzzing, but it is vital for energy for the weekend!