Do you attend either live events for personal growth, business development or for learning the latest and greatest thinking in your areas of specialization?
Do you have a plan, a strategy, and a budget in the beginning of the year to determine which events you will attend in the upcoming year and for what purpose?
It is essentially a business question which will lead to your ROI – your return on the investment of your time, travel and fees to attend the event vs. what you will gain from the event which may be the knowledge, the networking and potentially new business.
Some people do not give a second thought to an event they sign up for and plan to attend. They will book their flight at the last minute (pay the higher price for it), try to reserve a room at the hotel where the venue is being held at the last minute (often the discounted room block is sold out then have to either pay a higher price or stay at another location which may not be close by to the venue), and do not have a plan or a strategy in terms of who might be attending and they want to be certain to meet or get introduced to.
If any of the above sounds familiar to you or if it is you – STOP IT! Stop this behavior right now! The ability and the choice to attend the live event is a gold mine. It is a gold mine only if you are mining. No one is going to hand you and just place in front of you the gold nuggets. It takes a bit of planning and some work beforehand in order for the fruits of your labor to be delivered.
First – If you are planning to attend an event, as soon as possible place your deposit and secure your room reservations and airline reservations. Now you are committed.
Second – Place the dates on your calendar and include the travel dates. Begin the process of identifying who else will be attending. Social media is an excellent starting point as many events will create an event page or hashtag for those planning to attend to begin discussions and get to know each other better.
Third – Look over the planned schedule. Note where there are breaks and begin to arrange to either meet other people or groups of people to have a meal with or meet for coffee on a break during the day. If you want to get to know one or two people specifically try your best to limit the group to only the two or three people you want to engage with. This is not anti social behavior. It is intentional networking.
In summary, if you are going to spend your time and money attending a live event, plan and strategize ahead of time to make the most of the experience.
Mitch Tublin is an advanced certified executive and personal coach who resides in Stamford, CT.
I am in total agreement and plan for my live events well. I always book the hotel and flight right away. I also “study” and “research” the speakers and other attendees for a masterminding type event – so I know who I want to meet. I also take copies of my book to give away to people who I feel may be a fit for some future collaboration.
I always prefer live events and love meeting people in person. I try to plan so that I can maximize my time both from an educational point of view but also for networking. If I didn’t plan it out I think it would be much more difficult.
Really, really good advice Mitch! One other idea: if someone you know is going to be there and they would be a good interview, take time to arrange an interview with them. I have done this with Mark Schaefer for example when we were both at the same conference, and it worked out very well.
Great tips, Mitch. When it comes to running your business, planning ahead and being strategic are two very important skills to have. This holds true for attending and networking at live events, as well.
I also agree that one needs to be strategic about who to meet and where to go. Great tips, especially about identifying who else will be attending.
Great tips for making the most of attending events – I also love Mary Ellen’s suggestion of lining up interviews with other speakers or attendees.
Just came out of a 6 day live event that was wonderful. Also had the foresight to plan 4 speaking events around it… another bonus of planning a year in advance.