BlogWorld is coming up, and in the spirit of this event, I thought I’d put together some tips on ways to get the most out of your conference experiences. After all, you’re paying to be there, so you might as well do it right.
FYI – Stay tuned. I’m going to be announcing my “BlogWorld strategy” here shortly, and ways that you can get involved (even if you’re not going to BlogWorld).
1. Stay where everyone else is staying.
If you’re in the same hotel as everyone else, then you’ll easily be able to take advantage of those impromptu get-togethers that sometimes happen. You want to be in the middle of the action throughout your entire time at the conference.
2. Go to the parties and networking events.
While it’s often said that the best networking happens randomly in the hallway, or at the hotel bar, it’s still worth it to go to the parties and networking events, if only for the fact that everyone will be in one place. So it’s less time spent running around and tracking people down.
3. Go to the sessions that are valuable to you.
Remember that you’re paying to be there, so you might as well see who you want to see and do what you want to do. Go to the sessions that matter to you and that you’ll get something out of. Don’t just follow the herd around to whatever seems popular.
4. Tweet what you’re up to.
This lets those who want to meet up with you know what you’re doing and where you are. Obviously, you want to be discrete. Don’t tweet out that you’re “walking back to my hotel alone in the dark”.
Also send a tweet every once in awhile about things you’re seeing and learning. Doing this keeps your Twitter followers up to date, especially those who couldn’t go to the conference and are feeling like they’re missing out.
5. Make a “conference friend”.
If you’re the shy type, make a “conference friend” the first day. This could be someone you happen to sit next to the first day. Or maybe it’s someone you meet up with from Twitter. If you know absolutely no one, it can be nice to have a familiar face for the duration of the conference, and have someone to hang out with as a back-up plan if other plans fall through. Also, it’s nice to make one deep connection during a time when you might only otherwise make shallow connections.
I’ve done this at the couple of conferences I’ve attended in the past. I’ve left every single conference with a new friend in my industry and a business relationship I can continue to build upon.
6. On the contrary, meet new people every day.
Go out of your way to meet new people every day of the conference. That means you don’t sit at the same table with the same people every time, but you get up and move around and sit down with strangers. You never know who you’re going to meet, or where that relationship may take you.
By the way, you can always approach this tactic with your “conference friend” at your side.
7. Distribute business cards, but only when it’s appropriate.
I’ve met people at conferences who barely finish telling me their name before they shove their card in my face. I don’t even know you, why would I care about having your card?
You definitely need to have business cards with you. They will come in handy. But contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to give them to everyone. Just hand them out when it feels right and when you’ve made a genuine connection with someone. Otherwise you’re just handing out cards that’ll end up in the garbage (and no one will contact you after the fact).
8. Get some sleep.
That goes for before you leave for the conference, as well as while you’re at the conference. It’ll be a total waste if you’re too tired and/or hungover to remember the sessions you saw or the people you met.
9. Take this time to stockpile a bunch of content for your blog.
Going to a conference is the perfect opportunity to create a ton of your content for your blog. Snag interviews with people, make videos of the event, post end-of-the-day wrap-ups, etc.
10. Be outgoing.
It’s easy to be shy in a room full of strangers. But there’s really no place safer for you to be if you’re not naturally outgoing. These are people who are looking to chat with you, and you all have common ground. And if you have an awkward conversation, so what? You probably don’t have to see or talk to them again. You’ll regret it if you don’t seize the day.
11. Follow the conference communication channels.
If your conference is using a Twitter hashtag (or Facebook group, or blog, or whatever), keep up with it for conference news, speaker reviews, impromptu get-togethers, etc. Stay in tune with what’s happening so you’re not left out of the action.
12. Bring something to take notes on.
I don’t think it really matters if you bring your laptop, or just a notebook. Have something to write things down on. Don’t assume that you’ll just remember everything.
13. Try to find a moment to talk to an industry leader.
Sometimes that can be hard, because people rush the stage and swarm the “experts”. But if you have an opportunity to introduce yourself and shoot the breeze with someone “big”, go for it. Don’t be scared to talk to them. They’re just people. Don’t rush the stage or look desperate. Just wait your turn, or catch them off-guard (in a hallway, etc). And, if you can, snag an interview with them. That’s blog content gold.
14. Know your elevator pitch.
This is pretty important. Know what your unique elevator pitch is, and be able to spout it off at a moment’s notice. You might only have a couple seconds to explain who you are and what you do, so don’t fill the time with details that aren’t important or applicable.
15. Wear your badge.
It drives me nuts when people don’t wear their badges at conferences, and then I have to ask them their name and try to remember it. Make it easy on the new people you meet and wear your badge.
And here’s a tip: If your badge has writing that’s too small, or doesn’t include important details (like your Twitter username, or your email address, or your URL), create a new one. It doesn’t matter what it looks like, it matters that people can see the important information.
16. Enjoy yourself.
Conferences can be like little work vacations. So enjoy yourself, sight see, and meet new people. No one likes someone who is all work and no play.
If you liked this, you might also enjoy...