Getting the most from conferences

Getting as much as possible from conferences can help you make the best use of your time. Conferences can be time consuming and you don’t want to get the feeling that you have wasted your time.

“To get the most out of a conference, advisors should have a purpose for attending and determine ahead of time what they expect to accomplish,” advises Nadira Lawrence-Selan, integrated marketing and communications consultant with Hathleigh Consulting in Woodbridge, Ontario.

She notes that advisors often attend conferences, just for the sake of attending or as an obligation or to take a break from their busy schedules. But, she adds, if “that’s their sole purpose, the conference experience might fall short of their expectations.”

Here are five ways to maximize your conference experience.

1. Plan ahead
Lawrence-Selan recommends reviewing the conference brochure to decide which sessions would be of most value to you. She suggests that you create a schedule of “must attend” events and “would be nice to attend events.” This way, you will not miss the events that are important to you.

2. Have a purpose
As a professional you must have a purpose for attending a conference. Lawrence-Selan suggests that you rank your reasons in order of importance and make a list of what you would like to accomplish. For instance, you may want to attend specific educational events, or visit the display booths of suppliers you know would be there. “If you can come back to the office with all or most of the items crossed off on your list, you would be a happy camper,” says Lawrence-Selan.

3. Plan networking ahead of time
In today’s environment of enhanced connectivity through social networks, there is a good chance you can find out who will be attending a conference before you get there, advises Lawrence-Selan. She says you can also get a list of attendees from the conference sponsor. Lawrence-Selan recommends that you contact those you would like to meet and set up convenient meeting times prior to the conference. This will give you greater comfort that your conference experience will be a good one.

4. Align your conference objectives with your own objectives
A conference will most likely have sessions that are of particular importance to building your practice. For example, these could include sessions on increasing referrals or advice on developing centers of influence. “Plan on getting the most out of these sessions,” advises Lawrence-Selan. She suggests preparing a list of questions to get answers to specific issues or concerns. By doing this, you will not only benefit from expert answers but also from the knowledge and experience of your peers who might be willing to share their views on these topics.

5. Follow conferences on social media
Most conferences pitch their programs on social media. If you are attending an out-of-town conference, follow it on social media prior to attending. You can gain valuable insights on presenters, events, and even perks available to attendees. For instance, says Lawrence-Selan, you might be unhappy if you turned up at a conference and discovered that some attendees received offers of lower hotel rates or some other perk that they learned about on social media.

See also: Prospecting at conferences