Attending conferences can be an overwhelming convergence of new information, connections and business tools. While scheduling effectively and paying close attention is key, it's your preparation before you even attend that can make the real difference.
In 2009 alone, 4.5 million trade and convention show delegates traveled to Las Vegas, to attend one of nearly 20,000 meetings and conventions, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Association. That alone generated $4.5 million in non-gaming related revenue for the city (which has hosted the most conferences in North America for 16 straight years), so clearly conferences and trade shows are big business.
For attendees and speakers, trade shows can be an intimidating multi-day forum where you make new business connections, learn what others in your space are succeeding with, and learn what you can do better. Particularly in a time of corporate fiscal responsibility like we are in today, individuals need to prove to their companies perhaps more than ever that trade show/conference attendance is just as important to business success as it always has been, and perhaps even more.
But when you attend a conference, how can you be sure to avoid the overwhelming number of people, events, trade booths and more? "A majority of my work in attending a conference is done before I even leave home," notes conference-goer Dennis Yu, co-founder and CEO of BlitzLocal.com, which provides Facebook advertising for brands and local businesses. "Particularly if I'm speaking, but even if I'm just an attendee, you need to study up on the conference. I mean, why are you going if you haven't properly researched it?"
This guide will explain how important pre-conference preparation is to making your conference attendance a better experience, sharing some tips once you are there as a speaker or attendee, and the best ways to follow up after everyone has gone back to their daily lives.
How to Get the Most Out of a Conference: Pre-Conference Preparation
Luckily for conference-goers in 2010, pre-conference preparation is considerably easier than it's ever been in years past. Doing your homework and preparing before you attend has always been important, but with the advancements in technology (namely social media and web tools), there's no excuse for attending a conference unprepared.
"Most people start their homework with the speakers, researching them, and maybe connecting with them," says Valeria Maltoni, a noted blogger and director of strategy at Powered, Inc., where she advises companies on social strategy. "You have plenty of tools to search on Twitter, Facebook and many other networks for the names of people who will be at the conference and what their backgrounds are. Not to mention, most conferences have their own sites with social media integrated into it, so you can connect with other attendees via those channels."
A good strategy before conferences once you've seen the speaker and attendee list is to select the people you'd like to connect with. Depending on the situation and your past attendance of similar industry-related events, that list could be relatively short or more vast. If you're well established in the topic, perhaps you want to focus on making a few really strong and solid connections. If you're just getting started and want to use the conference to get to know people, aim for a higher number.
"Now that people know who I am, it is considerably easier to meet people at a conference because they come to you, particularly when you're a speaker," says Yu. "But even if nobody knows who you are, making valuable connections is so much more important than just spreading yourself around. Don't ever try to connect with a session speaker after they've just spoken, because you'll be in a group with all the other people from that session. Rather, do your homework ahead of time and figure out who makes the most sense to meet with, and reach out to them."
When you're connecting with people, an important skill to remember is to connect with people who might not be able to only help you, but who may also be able to help other people in your network. If you can connect someone with an existing connection or relationship that might work with him or her quicker than you, you'll be seen as an important contact because of your ability to connect.
"One of my favorite strategies is to determine how many people at the conference I can connect with other people in my network that might be helpful to them or vice versa," Maltoni says. "At the end of the day, it strengthens everybody's network that much more and makes everyone's experience much more useful."
Once you've established whom you want to talk to, you can email them to set up a meeting over breakfast, lunch, or coffee. Start doing this outreach a few weeks before the conference. Another option is to tweet with them or friend request them on Facebook. Beyond the pre-conference networking, you should determine what sessions you'll want to attend before you even leave home. Take a look at the conference website, the different tracks, the speakers and figure out how your time can be spent most effectively. And then schedule the aforementioned meetings around what you can't miss.
The final thing you should think about before you lave home is conference essentials. Bring business cards, notebooks, pens, proper attire, work samples, and anything else you might need when you're meeting new potential business partners. Think about it as if someone were visiting your office, and what barebones materials you would need to properly describe your role in the business to them.
Dig Deeper: How to Survive a Las Vegas Trade Show
