30 Ways to Attend a Conference...ON Purpose!

Posted on May 13, 2017 by Mark Myette, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.

A GOAL SHOULD SCARE YOU A LITTLE, & EXCITE YOU A LOT. JOE VITALE

This year I have the honor of being the co-chair of the Volunteer Committee for the Association for Talent Development (ATD) International Conference & Exposition (ICE) being held in Atlanta, GA. This conference, the largest event for talent development professionals worldwide, is no small feat! It will require ~300 volunteers to make the 8000+ attendees from 160 countries and 300+ exhibitors feel welcome, not lost, and productive!

This event also reminds me of the importance of INTENTIONALITY in attending a conference / trade show – of the likes of ATD ICE. Since a conference / trade show of this magnitude will attract many different attendees – each with their own objective(s) – it will be important to maximize your investment – whether time, talent or treasury! At the macro level, there are three groups who attend: Attendees; Volunteers; and Exhibitors.

Here are some tips to YOUR attending a Conference…ON Purpose!

Attendees

“New conferences are announced almost every day, but realistically you can only attend one or two per year. To decide which ones warrant your time, think about what kinds of people you want to make connections with. Consider your 50 closest professional relationships. If almost all of them are at your company or in your industry, you may want to explore conferences that bring together diverse groups, such as TED or your local TEDx gathering. Conversely, if your ties inside your industry are weak, consider attending events sponsored by your regional or national professional association. It’s important that you don’t only consider the gatherings that your peers frequent. View your conference attendance as a chance to connect with the people whom you wish to have as your peers in the future.” Dorrie Clark

With that said, let’s commence with the 30 ways to attend a Conference…ON Purpose!!

1. Attend the right one! As Dorrie indicated, spend time checking out the conference’s website. What are the outcomes you should expect? Who are the other attendees, keynoters, breakout speakers, and exhibitors? Are these the folks I need / want / should meet?

2. Register early! Shows have different policies and pricing structures; you may be able to save money by registering early.

3. Stay at the hotel associated with the event! It’s usually more expensive but most of the attendees / exhibitors will be staying there because it’s convenient. And, chances are after the day’s events, they’ll be meeting in / around the hotel.

4. Have a plan! The worst way to go to a conference is unprepared. You need goals and objectives! Go to the conference’s website. Download the APP (if they have one). Arrive early. Get your hands on the conference schedule, map and a directory. Map out which sessions / booths you’re going to visit and in what order. Some conferences are massive, and you can’t afford to needlessly tire yourself out. Once you’ve attended the educational sessions and visited the companies on your exhibitor list, feel free to walk the conference at your leisure.

5. Arrive early & learn! Some conferences have PRE-Conference education / certificate / certification tracks. It’s a GREAT way to learn, earn some Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for your on-going education / certification requirements.

6. Dress the part! People will take you more seriously if you dress appropriately. For example, if the conference is about sporting equipment and fitness, you don’t need a three-piece suit. For other industries, a sport coat / business casual will most likely be more appropriate. (Hint: go to the conference’s website and see if they have an videos from previous years..most likely, you’d see what folks are wearing.)

7. Comfy shoes! Bring at least two pairs of comfortable shoes and wear them on alternate days! As mentioned, walking the floor will exhaust you.

8. Businesses cards! You should expect to meet important contacts anywhere—like the lobby, at food court, or even riding the elevator. You never know, so be prepared.

9. THANK the exhibitors! For those whom have exhibited at a conference before, you get this. For all others, you may not. Exhibitors spend thousands, if not, tens of thousands of dollars to exhibit at the conference. They exhibit to make the BEST impression to you and educate!

10. Load up on collateral! Pick up a copy of every piece of literature relevant to you and your goals / objectives of attending. There will definitely be a nugget or two or more in the subsequent pile!

11. Have luggage space available! Speaking of pile…! Leave room in your luggage to bring the collateral home, or ship it home at the end of the conference. I’ve know people to bring a spare roller case with them.

12. Managing your time on the expo floor! Avoid approaching booths when they’re packed! Plan on visiting the “less popular” booths on the FIRST day, the more popular booths on the SECOND day for that reason. Don’t wait until the third day, since some companies may depart early.

13. Wait for salespeople to engage you! While approaching a booth can be intimidating, since it feels a bit like walking into someone’s living room, what works well is simply observing what’s going on around you and wait for a salesperson to come to you. (They will!)

14. Make sure to get a business card! It’s not enough to give someone your information. If you attend a conference, you could easily walk away with dozens of cards. MAKE NOTES with a SHARPIE pen on the back of the card because you WILL forget the reason WHY you might have someone’s card.

15. Network and follow up! If you receive someone’s card, follow up a minimum via LinkedIn. All of your efforts will have been for naught if you don’t.

16. Lay low on the alcohol! Refer back to your goals / objectives of attending the conference. The power of a clear head / “fresh morning” feeling will be priceless to you!

17. Take it seriously! When you go to a show, you’re working. You’ll be tired, so, get plenty of rest!

Volunteers

1. What’s your “Why”? A great way to give back to the group hosting the event! Perhaps you want to “give back”. Or, reduce the cost to attend an event. Or, grow your network? Or, lobby the change the industry. Make sure you have a legitimate “why”!

2. Do it for the right reason! It’s important to be authentic in your desire to volunteer. If you raise your hand to volunteer, the host group will be counting on YOU. The attendees – although when they attend a conference may NOT specifically express this – they DO count on you too!

3. Understand your role! See point number 2…your lack of understanding will impact the host committee AND the attendees! Note: if you are assigned a role that’s “not a fit” – let the organizers know! It’s best you let them know and find a role that takes full advantage of what you have to offer.

4. Put all of YOU into your role! Don’t show up halfway. Show up early! With the right attitude. Your heart needs to be in it!

5. Wear comfortable shoes! :) This bears repeating! Bring at least two pairs of comfortable shoes and wear them on alternate days! As mentioned, walking the floor will exhaust you.

6. Network and follow up! If you receive someone’s card, follow up a minimum via LinkedIn. All of your efforts will have been for naught if you don’t.

Exhibitors

1. Do the recon! Scout out the show as an attendee. By spending a few hundred dollars to attend the conference of interest BEFORE exhibiting, you can answer a lot of questions. Scour the exhibitor list and session lineup for potential customers, partners and advisers you’d like to meet at the event, then reach out to them.

2. Create an irresistible pitch! A great demo is nothing without a spirited, engaging pitch that presents the solution to a specific customer need—preferably in a minute or less. A video demo also can work well – as long as it’s kept under three minutes and it’s got to have conviction and energy.

3. Make your booth inviting! Leave enough space for people to engage with you. That means leaving room for your team, your demo and show attendees, many of whom will be toting large swag bags. To ensure you don’t overcrowd the booth, map it out ahead of time in your office using tape on the floor – i.e. position large tables against the back or side of the booth. Less is more. A simple, clean booth that’s bright and eye-catching is important.

4. Cut costs, not corners! It’s essential to know where you should (and shouldn’t) scrimp. Make sure you spend wisely when it comes to assembling your team for the show, too. The people who go should be outgoing and able to ignite a conversation on the escalator! For extra hands on the trade-show floor, tap temp marketplaces (e.g.s TaskRabbit and Fiverr). Hire students willing to do odd jobs such as booth setup.

5. Know where to splurge! Buy as much visibility as you can afford. For media and awards, you definitely want to be in the new-product showcase. Rent a badge scanner when available – that will make the follow-up much more streamlined!

6. Network, network, network! Talk to everyone, everywhere—even in line for the restroom. Go out of your way to befriend show organizers, staff AND exhibitors in the neighboring booths. Tell them what you’re looking for, be it customers, investors or publicity. If they know they may drive those people to our booth! When exploring the show, don’t roam aimlessly. Go to the welcome reception!
7. Think about which sessions the buyers and contacts you’re looking for would attend. Check the show’s website and Twitter feed for last-minute program changes and other highlights. AND NEVER leave your booth unattended, not even for a minute!

8. Follow up and evaluate! Your post-show checklist should include more than merely reaching out to new contacts. Look for other opportunities to communicate with your industry. For example, include any breaking news-an award, a hot new customer—in your company newsletter. Also send a press release announcing big wins to relevant trade publications, a move that may garner multiple write-ups. It’s also about gauging an event’s return on investment. As noted, it’s wise to attend a show with preset goals in mind (think: media hits, investor interest or retail leads).

Enjoy and grow from your experience!

My best to your quest!

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Mark
I believe each of us is a gift. I create trusted relationships where individuals, teams and leaders NAME, CLAIM and AIM their gifts to achieve optimum ​performance.