Thankfully, as entrepreneurs, we’re no longer subject to mandatory conferences meant to be attended by our bosses. Instead, we skim through myriad emails and blogs looking for information and events of value. Conferences can be an excellent one-stop-shop for networking and access to resources relevant to your particular industry. But somehow, even with all the excitement about accomplished speakers (and awesome swag bags), we can still manage to leave a conference with nothing more than notes and tons of branded pens and notepads.
With all the hubbub around Facebook, Twitter, and all the topic-specific social networking communities, do we still need to attend conferences? If we can chat with our clients through our blogs, and meet new ones through Facebook, why shell out cash to look at people you may not even get the chance to meet?
Contact us with your thoughts, but in my experience, a well-organized conference can offer the ultimate “Hear Me Roar!” encounter for you and your brand. Mere attendance is one important, yet small aspect of conference-going. Many conferences offer budget-friendly sponsorship options by which you can showcase your wares/services, and with as little as $300, you could be front-and-center with thousands of potential clients!
Many corporations also sponsor bloggers at large-scale conferences! Mom bloggers are a huge hit with big companies, and are often sponsored to work their magic by representing brands and showing just how mom-friendly the “big guys” products actually are. Face-to-face interaction allows for a level of conversation that’s not likely to occur clicking away at a keyboard.
The Face-to-face factor (F2F Curve) is diagrammed HERE to remind us that looking your clients (existing and potential) in the eyes still matters, and conferences can help you do just that.
With the growing number of conferences, how do you choose where to spend your hard-earned dollars?
Go with credible word-of-mouth. Which ones are the people you look up to in your industry attending? There’s a start. Also, check out blog reviews to see what your colleagues thought of certain conferences, and if they plan to attend again. Martin Fenner’s post over at The Nature Network offers some great tips on what makes a conference worth attending in person. Check them out HERE.
A Few Last Tips
Mingle. Set a goal for the number of people you will intentionally meet. Make it fun! For example, “I will introduce myself to anyone with red in their shirt.” Don’t overthink it—introduce yourself, and don’t forget to mention your company!
Breakouts are your friend! Large conferences can be overwhelming, but a bit of pre-conference preparation can cut that down to a minimum. If you only paid for certain sessions, and have a broad array of sessions from which to choose, pick a couple of seemingly interesting sessions, and get engaged. Don’t try to eat the whole elephant in one sitting.
Take notes, then USE THEM! Try to take notes in such a way that you can actually utilize the information you’ve received.
Outright is secure.
What do you think?
What are your favorite conferences and why?
What conferences have you attended lately?
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I don't know about attending, but I do know about the best conference to HOST! I've not done any self promotion on this community forum and I might get in trouble for this one. But, anyone out there who wants to earn some extra money should consider hosting one of johngirtonspeaks.com's BREAKOUT! 2010 Entrepreneur's Conferences and Seminars. Check out photos for our last one in Indiana http://tinyurl.com/ykhgmhm. You or your organization will earn commission on all registrations you confirm. Plus, we can Skype in Jane or Paul or even Jennifer to add "major" value to the event. Learn more at my website above.
The Professor
Posted Mar 13, 2010 7:54:52 AM by: johngirton.me
Responded Mar 13, 2010 12:03:22 PM by: Paul O'Brien - Outright
Responded Mar 22, 2010 5:43:59 AM by: johngirton.me
0
Big Omaha!
Posted Mar 12, 2010 8:15:05 AM by: princess lasertron