The give and take of conferences
How to make an event work for small business
Attending conferences and events is a key part of any entrepreneur’s growth and development, and can be key to building relationships, keeping up with industry trends and finding leads. On the flip side, conferences can be expensive, time consuming and a miss in terms of content. More than a decade of organizing, attending and speaking at conferences around the world has taught me these top ways to always get value out of attending.
Know why you’re attending, and what would make it a success:
Before buying a ticket to a conference, define what would make the cost worth it. Maybe it’s forming relationships and meeting people, maybe it’s learning from experts and having take- aways to apply to your business, or maybe it’s sourcing leads to follow up on when the event is over. Having a goal will help you focus on what will drive that outcome — for example, if you just want to learn, you should be in sessions all day taking notes, but if your goal is relationships, you’re better off hanging out in the hall between sessions networking and chatting with people.
Make a plan for who you want to connect with:
Most big conferences release apps in advance to help you navigate the agenda and to provide logistical details, and they often provide a full list of attendees. If the event doesn’t have an app, it will at least have a website with a list of speakers, and a hashtag so you can research who might attend. Spend time in the days leading up to the event reviewing the attendees and speakers, following them on social channels and making notes on who you want to connect with. Or set up meetings in advance — that’s something I often did at South by Southwest Interactive in Austin, as it was such a large conference. Having meetings set up meant I connected with key people outside the random connections I could make moving through the event.
Create connections that go beyond the event:
This week I attended the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Summit in San Francisco, for the seventh time. The event brings together female entrepreneurs from 20 countries, and while all who attend have interesting businesses, this year I met four women who also own communications agencies. They innately understand the challenges I face in my business, and within an hour we had set up a WhatsApp group to stay connected, and we’re planning a meetup in New York City this fall. Most people attending a conference exchange business cards, connect on social media and LinkedIn, and maybe even exchange a few emails postevent. But to get value out of conference relationships, make sure they extend well beyond the life of the event. Host drinks for attendees six months after, create a Twitter list of attendees so you can all stay connected online, or create a private Facebook group where attendees can share business stories on an ongoing basis.
Leverage media attention at the event:
Events can be a great way to connect with journalists and even get featured in the event’s coverage. When I handled communications for a Toronto startup, we exhibited at events like TechCrunch Disrupt, and most large tech- media outlets were on site interviewing startups; just being there landed us an interview on CNN. I also spent years as a tech journalist, and often attended events to cover them or to find story ideas. Try to get a sense of which media outlets will be on site, try to meet them and share your story — you’re much more memorable if you’ve had a face-to-face interaction, and even if they don’t feature you in their event recap, they’ll be more likely to open your next email pitch.
Build toward having the most impact:
I realized early on that the most impact I could have at an event would be as a speaker. Speaking helps position you as a thought l eader, and ensures that everyone who attends knows your name ( and your company’s name) when they leave. Speaking isn’t the only way to get exposure though. The key is to go from being an attendee to an organizer, sponsor, speaker or partner so you leave a larger impression. At the very least, find other ways to make an impact on- site — share social posts with the event hashtag, ask questions at sessions (typically you’re asked to say your name and business before your question), or participate in on-site filming for post-event recap videos.