🆙 Unleash your full potential and level up your career with the power of face-to-face conferences! These events are a rare opportunity to expand your professional network, stay ahead of the curve with the latest industry developments, and potentially connect with the right partners or investors who can help bring your vision to life. So why wait? Embrace the power of face-to-face interaction and take your career to new heights!
💬 This may seem easy, but it’s not. You don’t just start a chat with random people and get offers.
👣 We can say an event has three phases: Before, during, and after. Let's dig into each phase.
Before the Event
✍️ You need to plan and start getting in touch with people attending the conference with whom you want to meet.
Define your specific and relevant goals for the conference.
Determine who you need to meet and have a chat with to achieve these goals.
Find out if they’re attending the conference.
Message them before the event and set a certain time to meet.
💻 Some events have online platforms in which you can see who is attending, set up meetings, and more. You need to use them well. Remember, face-to-face interactions are where the magic happens, so prioritize building real-life connections. Message them first through the event platform and if you don’t get an answer, start messaging them on a platform you know they use often (can be LinkedIn) and keep messaging until you get an answer.
🎙️ You may notice I haven’t mentioned the sessions of the conference. It’s because I believe meeting with people face to face is more fruitful. It’s even possible that the event organizer will post the sessions on YouTube.
🔨 This doesn’t apply to workshops, though. They can be really valuable, and you should take a look at the schedule, see if there is one, and register if needed.
Additionally, if there are booths of companies at the event, take a look at which companies will be present and where in the venue. This will make you know your way around and being resourceful will help you feel confident.
🪪 Oh, and get some business cards printed. You’ll need them.
During the Event
🔎 Keep an eye out for those you've tried to connect with before, as a chance encounter could be the moment you've been waiting for. Always have your LinkedIn app at the ready, and don't be afraid to swap business cards or connect on the spot. And don't miss out on the fun of freebies from company booths - they can also serve as a great icebreaker in the future.
📛 Be proactive, inspect everyone's badges to see who might be worth connecting with, and keep an open mind to new possibilities. Don't make the mistake of letting your guard down too early - after a successful presentation or accomplishment, there may still be opportunities waiting for you.
🌆 Embrace the experience, widen your horizons, and never stop being proactive.
Once, I had the chance to do a presentation of my company to a group of investors during an event. After the presentation, I felt like my job at the event was done. And this feeling reduced my efforts dramatically for the rest of the event. I could’ve done a lot more.
After the Event
🥴 This phase can be the most tedious and painful. Don't let frustration get the best of you in this critical phase. Yes, the follow-up can be challenging, but the rewards are worth it. You never know who will turn into a valuable business partner or who may refer you to someone who is interested in your product. Keep your head up and stay persistent!
🚪 Think of every missed opportunity as a potential door that could open in the future. By maintaining communication with everyone you met at the event, you're keeping those doors ajar. So, send a friendly follow-up message and bring up a memorable moment from the event to rekindle the connection.
People can ghost you and you will never even know why. However, this is not always about your product. There are lots of possible reasons and people on the other end won’t bother messaging you about it. This is nothing personal and is completely normal.
🗓️ They may have something on their personal agenda. Maybe they’re about to leave their current company, and they can’t help you in their new job. There can be a decision from leadership. Maybe the company is there just for the show, and they aren’t looking for new partnerships at the moment.
What you should do is get in touch with everyone you’ve met during the event and arrange a meeting to discuss possible business opportunities. Keep messaging until you get an answer.
✉️ In these messages and the meetings you will have, you should refer to something that happened during the event. It can be a topic you’ve discussed with this particular person like “You shocked me when you said…” or it can be something about the event itself like “The food was a disaster, don’t you think?” This will help build a connection.
🚀 Overall, the key to getting the most out of a conference is to come prepared with specific goals and a plan to achieve them and to be proactive in networking and making connections.
Disclaimer: The cover image is created with AI.
Top comments (0)