There are two packing personalities: those that pack everything and those that pack frugally. Although both might be extreme, the best rule of thumb for packing is to keep it simple. The key to packing is organization.

Know Your Agenda

The first step is to know your trip's agenda and create a packing list to match. Print your agenda and decide what outfit is the best selection for each day and/or event. Write it down!

For example, if it's a business meeting during the day followed by a cocktail reception, dress for business during the day (slacks or skirt and blouse) and add a suit jacket for the evening. If it's a more casual event, swap out your plain blouse for color. Crosscheck your list for possibilities of mixing and matching colors that complement each other, i.e. a black jacket goes with black dress pants and dark blue skirt. TIP: Dark colors work well and go together well for both social and business occasions.

Coordinate Agenda with Clothing

Once you've coordinated your luggage content with your agenda, then you can move to the closet. Pull out only the items on your list. Place them chronologically on the bed. For example, Monday is a black dress during the day coordinated with red pumps, and for the power business dinner that evening, you will add a red blazer. Also include the undergarments for each outfit.

One more time, compare your luggage contents to your agenda to make certain that you've covered each day and each event - without double coverage. If possible, weed out single-use items. Ask yourself is there anything I can leave out? Do I really want to cart this around?
The Art of Packing

Packing is indeed an art. Learn to fold or roll your clothing compactly. The tighter the roll the fewer wrinkles. Strategically position the clothing in the suitcase in order to use each nook and cranny. Placing tissue paper in between layer of clothes also helps prevent wrinkling. In other words, you don't have to line the items in a row. You can crisscross at will if it makes better use of the space.

Shoes are the biggest space hogs, so be sure to tuck small items like jewelry, socks or underwear inside.

If you are folding and stacking, place your items chronologically with the pieces that you plan to wear first on top. Then you won't have to dig around in the suitcase and disturb your neat packing.

Other Important Tips

Jewelry: The best policy is to only bring what you wear on the plane. However, if you really feel you should have more options, bring what you're not afraid to lose, like costume jewelry, instead of risking the loss of a favorite heirloom.

Toiletries: Really, do you need to take that super-size bottle of specialty shampoo? Nowadays, hotels stock some of the best toiletries available, ranging from shampoo, conditioner and scented lotion. If you really must, most personal items come in travel sizes, and the best plan, especially if you travel frequently, is to keep a toiletries bag always packed.

Laptop, Camera, iPod, etc.: If you must bring these: carry-on, carry-on, and carry-on. Never pack these expensive electronic items. If you do, you're just asking for someone to raid your checked baggage.

Got souvenirs? Even when you're on a business trip, the temptation to purchase a souvenir is overwhelming. It's okay to unleash the shopping diva, but always keep in mind that ultimately what you buy you have to pack. Consider shipping your souvenirs to your home, foregoing the hassle of finding a precious cranny in your luggage.

Keep your packing simple, and when you check in your bag, you'll discover one less headache when you travel.