When you arrive
- Check in, then unpack the outfit for tomorrow and hang it up so creases can drop out.
- Plug in every device and set your phone and laptop clocks to local time if they did not change on their own.
- Check the route from the hotel to the meeting place and how long it takes at the time you will travel. If it is close, walk it.
- Eat a proper meal and drink some water.
- Send a short note to your host to confirm the time and place, and to your team or family to say you have arrived.
The night before the meeting
- Run through your slides or notes once, then stop. Late-night rewrites rarely help.
- Save a copy of your presentation in a second place, such as cloud storage or a memory stick.
- Pack your bag for the morning: laptop, charger, display adapter, business cards if you use them, a pen and a bottle of water.
- Set two alarms, one on your phone and one on another device or a wake-up call from the front desk.
- Go to bed at a reasonable time. The jet lag guide covers sleep across time zones.
The morning of
Eat breakfast, even a small one. Leave earlier than you think you need to, since buildings with security desks can add fifteen minutes. Arrive with time to find the room, set up your laptop and test the screen connection. If you are running late, call or message your host early rather than at the start time.
Checking out
- Do a sweep of the room: chargers in sockets, items in the safe, clothes on the back of the bathroom door.
- Ask for the itemized folio and check it before you leave.
- Store your bag with the front desk if you have meetings after checkout.
Once you are home
The trip isn't finished when you walk through the door. A short wrap-up the next working day saves time later:
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Expenses | Match receipts to card charges and file the claim. See the expenses guide. |
| Follow-ups | Send thank-you notes and the actions agreed in meetings while they are fresh. |
| Notes | Write down what you learned, who you met and what to do differently next time. |
| Kit | Restock the toiletry kit, put the tech pouch back in your bag and note anything you missed. |
| Rest | Take it easy if you can. Long trips and jet lag catch up with you a day or two later. |
Keep a trip log
A simple running document with a few lines per trip becomes very useful over time. Note the hotel's location relative to the office, how long the airport transfer took, what you forgot to pack and which meeting rooms had working screens. Next time you go to the same place, planning takes minutes. For the full process from the beginning, start with how to plan a work trip.