subject: Getting the Most out of Industry Events [print this page] As I was getting ready to head off to another trade show recently, I was thinking about how many people travel to conferences and trade shows, but don't really get the best return on their investment (time and money) to attend the event. While all industry events are definitely not created equal, attending a high quality conference should have a positive impact on your business. If not, why are you bothering to attend? The key is taking best advantage of every opportunity to make your trip worthwhile. Here are three quick tips to keep in mind before jumping on a plane for your next conference.
Make a plan
While it can be fun to take a trip with no real plans about where you need to be at any specific time, that approach probably makes more sense for a relaxing vacation at the beach than for a business trip. If you approach a trade show with the idea that you will just go and "wing it," chances are pretty good that you will find yourself back at the office in a few days wondering why you went to the show in the first place. While sticking to a rigid schedule can be pretty impractical once a show starts (people you plan to meet with are running late, the line to get in to the show runs around the block, your cab driver takes you on a site seeing tour of the entire city, etc.) if you make the effort to put a plan together, you are far more likely to accomplish the goals you set for the show. Set some concrete goals for the show. Make a list of the companies or people you want to meet with and try to set up times with each of them in advance. If there are seminars or conference sessions you really want to check out, schedule around them. Even if some of your plans don't end up working out, you are virtually guaranteed to get more accomplished then if you just showed up and tried to figure things out on the fly.
Talk to strangers
I know, your parents always said that talking to strangers was a bad idea. But, conferences are filled with networking events that give you the opportunity to meet lots of new people in the industry. It can be very easy to spend most of your time at a conference catching up with old friends and business acquaintances that you don't get to see very often. That is definitely an important part of attending industry events, but don't focus solely on talking with people you already know. Make a point of meeting some random attendees. Admittedly, there is no guarantee that any of them will turn out to be people you can do business with, but you just might be surprised. That guy standing next to you in the registration line could be a super-affiliate who could help promote your new offer or a rep from an affiliate network that could help you grow your business. The only way to find out is to strike up a conversation.
Follow through
Just like a good golf swing, making the most of your trade show contacts requires consistent follow through. If you are like many conference attendees, one of your first post-show rituals is sitting down at your desk and going through all the business cards you collected during the show. Did you make notes about each person you met during the show or do you look at some cards and realize "I have no idea who this person is or where this card even came from." Chances are if you have no idea why you have someone's card you aren't very likely to follow up with them. But, if you took a few key notes about the conversation it should jog your memory and help you determine which new contacts could make a difference for your business. If you think that most people already do a good job with follow up after a show, just think about how many cards you gave out at your last conference and how many of those people actually got in touch with you afterward. If I had to guess, I would say the percentage is pretty low, because many people just don't do a good job of follow up. It is amazingly easy to separate yourself from the majority of trade show attendees by simply putting in the effort to follow up after the show.
While there are plenty of other ways to improve your trade show experience, follow these three simple steps and you should come back from your next industry event with more than just a couple of promotional t-shirts, a key chain, some breath mints, and a handful of business cards you don't know what to do with.
