Do you attend events? When travel, hotel and food are added into the cost of the event, the event cost itself, plus the time involved attending the event, it becomes a serious investment.

Prior to the event do you have a plan and a strategy formulated in order to make the most of your investment? Even if the event is local and you do not have to travel you are investing your time. This is an investment as well and you should have a plan and a strategy to make the most of it.

Here are three tips you should utilize to make the most of your event attending experience.

First tip is you should review the schedule carefully.

Are there breakout sessions where you have the ability to select which one to participate in? Review these prior to attending the event and make your selection during each breakout of choice A and choice B for each breakout period. The reason is because if one of the sessions is canceled you already know where you intend to go, or if one of the sessions fills up you will already know where to go instead. Research the presenter and understand more about them and their background. This will enable you to judge the potential value to you of their session.

Second tip is you should see if there is a list of attendees posted or if there is a social media page for the event.

This will enable you to determine which people you definitely want to connect with in person at the event. Have this list available in order to ask others at the event if they saw them, know them or met them. Treat this as a game if you want to and don’t stress over it. However, make it your business to connect with the people you need to connect with!

Third tip is on the way back home from attending an event have a plan for what you will put into use – put into action and when.

Follow up with the people you met at the event within the first three to five days of the event with an action step to met in person if they are local or arrange a phone call.

Mitch Tublin is an advanced certified coach, business consultant and speaker based in Stamford, CT.

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