5 Ways to Make a Conference a Success

Lindsey Walters

Let’s face it, attending a conference is a lot of work. You could be attending for networking purposes, attending to work a booth, attending to go to seminars/speeches, or for a combination of reasons.  Whatever the reason you find yourself there, here are 5 different ways to make each conference a success for you and your company:

Come Prepared: Do your research before. Do you have any business contacts attending this conference? Is there someone you want to talk to? Simple things like researching the exhibitors, reaching out to business contacts beforehand, setting up meetings, making sure you have enough business cards, and merely bringing a pen (or two) can help you to be prepared for any conference.

Engage in Your Conversation: This might sound too easy, but it really is something that is often neglected. Make eye contact with whomever you might be talking to. Yes, there is a lot going on around you, but to make a true connection with someone you need to engage in the conversation you are in. See someone you know? Catch a glimpse of a painted girl? It can wait.

Find Common Ground during Conversation: Find something that you and your new (or old) friend can both relate to. This will not only guide the conversation, it will also help to eliminate any potential awkward pauses. Are you both from the same area? Do you both have cats? Whatever you land on, adding a personal touch to the conversation always allows you to identify with who you are speaking to. It might be cliché, but discussing weather is one of the most relatable topics that you can always fall back on. Polar Vortex? Check.

Don’t Forget About It: But really, you will. Between the various people you speak to, the happy hours, the breaks, the speaker panels, and other activities that take place during a conference, it is safe to say that you probably won’t remember what you had for breakfast, let alone who said what and when. Be smart and take notes of each conversation you have after they happen. Whether you write two words on the back of their business card or write a detailed note in your phone, you will be glad you did.

Follow Up With Your Contacts: Meeting people & networking is great, but your work is not over when the conference is. Once you get back to work after a conference, it is time to pull out all those business cards. Hopefully you took notes about each person, or else it might be difficult to piece everything together. Reaching out to your contacts is an imperative step in creating & nurturing relationships. Send a quick “thank you” or a request to continue the conversation in order to keep the communication going.

Be sure to use these tips at insideARM.com’s first ever, two day training seminar. ARM-U will take place in DC on October 14-15 and will bring together ARM industry Operations & Compliance professionals in order to learn and grow together.  If you would like to attend, learn more and register here. If you want to have a thought leadership presence at the training seminar, sponsorship opportunities are available and you can learn more here.