You’re attending a professional conference. How can you maximize your time and experience?

Your goals for attending a conference may include networking, personal growth, business and professional development, research, and innovation. It's important to choose your focus beforehand to prepare properly and get the most out of the event.

Set your goals in advance, and review the event agenda to ensure your goals are aligned with the conference agenda. Identify a way to stay in touch with people you meet. You can swap business cards or scan LinkedIn QR codes, but having a plan in advance will make it easier for you to keep connected after the event. If you want to be a speaker or vendor at a conference, applications are due months before the event. Advance preparation is paramount. If you are going with peers, you can attend different breakout sessions and learn from each other.

One thing I’ve found incredibly helpful is to also consider what value you can bring to the event and others attending. Often people only think about what they can get from an event, and completely overlook what they can give. The way to stand out and make an impact is by adding value not simply extracting it.

Fachkonferenzen sind für mich eine willkommene Gelegenheit, möglichst viele gleich interessierte Kolleginnen am gleichen Ort versammelt zu finden. D.h., dass ich schon im Vorfeld kläre, ob die Personen die ich unbedingt treffen möchte, auch an der Konferenz teilnehmen und dass ich mit diesen im Vorhinein Verabredungen treffe. Der zweite interessante Punkt einer Fachkonferenzen ist, dass ich Neues erfahre. Die größte Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass mir das gelingt, besteht bei Themen, die mich scheinbar nicht besonders anziehen. Vorträge dieser Art anzuhören, hat sich häufig als großer Gewinn erwiesen.

If your goal is to network, I strongly recommend leveraging the power of the event's website and app. Connect with your peers beforehand, send them LinkedIn invites, and try to set up coffee chats with the professionals you want to meet in person. If your goal is to attend as many sessions as possible, do your best to review the event's agenda and map. This information will allow you to plan accordingly, even when/if you need to switch venues. ... and if you don't have *one* goal in mind, that's ok too! You can pivot and adapt once you're there.

I can't stress enough the importance of research prior to attending any kind of a conference or networking event. To optimize time, know who your target audience is and the goals you wish to achieve. When you approach each individual, have clarity of their background, current work and how you can bring value to each other. Doing your "homework" prior to the event will ensure the best experience in the fraction of time.

I always put 30% of the time to learn who am I going to meet. Researching is the most important part of the whole networking process.

Research the conference agenda, speakers, and topics in advance to identify sessions, workshops, and activities that align with your interests and goals. Prioritize the sessions you want to attend and create a personalized schedule to optimize your time and ensure you don't miss out on valuable opportunities to learn and connect with others in your field.

Once you know your goals, delve into the conference agenda, speaker bios, and attendee list. Identify sessions that align with your objectives and research the speakers to see who offers the most relevant insights. Consider attending workshops or breakout sessions for a deeper dive into specific topics.

Have a plan, but also be willing to throw out the plan. Going to a big conference especially can have you feeling lots of FOMO. Know what’s going to be recorded. Know what sessions are a must vs a want. Check in with yourself in the moment and if you need to take a breather and step away, honor that. Give yourself some grace. None of the content and happy hours matters that much if you’re not physically up for it.

Plan your outfits around comfortable shoes! Pack a backpack in your checked or carry on bag. You’ll likely be leaving with extra swag so you may need the extra bag afterwards. Bring snacks especially if you have dietary restrictions and I swear by electrolyte hydration sticks.

Creating digital business cards alongside traditional ones is a great idea. You can create QR codes that lead to your website, LinkedIn profile, or even directly to your messenger account, making it easier for others to get in touch with you quickly. Also, consider exchanging contacts via AirDrop to showcase your innovative approach to sharing well-designed contact details (get ready in advance).

Pack essentials such as business cards, notebooks, pens, and electronic devices fully charged to facilitate networking, note-taking, and staying connected during the conference. Dress appropriately for the event and consider bringing comfortable shoes and layers to accommodate varying temperatures and environments throughout the day.

Packing efficiently can save time and hassle. When you pack, make sure to bring lots of business cards, a notebook and pen for taking notes, a portable charger for your electronic devices, and comfortable and professional clothing. Before the conference begins, ensure all your gadgets are properly charged and download any conference apps.

While it's essential to have a plan, be prepared to adapt and be flexible as opportunities and circumstances may change unexpectedly. Stay open to exploring new sessions or activities that may arise, and be willing to adjust your schedule or priorities based on emerging interests, conversations, or networking opportunities that present themselves during the conference.

Even while it is essential to have a plan, conferences can present chances that were not anticipated. Ensure you are willing to participate in any spontaneous sessions or networking events you find interesting. At a marketing conference last year, I originally planned to skip a session on social media trends because it wasn't directly related to my area of focus. However, a colleague convinced me to attend, and it was one of the most informative sessions. I learned about a new platform that perfectly fits a client campaign.

While research is important, flexibility is often where the best connections come from. Keep your eyes and ears alert all the time. What do you see going on and what are you hearing? Take it all in and use this to guide you as to who would be good to talk to and what conversations might be good to jump into. Also, if you start a conversation with someone or a company that becomes an obvious bad fit, politely extricate yourself. No point in wasting time - yours and theirs. Don’t be over ambitious either. There are only so many useful leads worth following and you want the best ones. Set yourself a limit but the flexibility is to ditch the poorer ones as the better ones come along.

You won’t be able to meet everyone. A helpful mantra for me is: “Whoever you meet and wherever you are is exactly where you’re supposed to be.” Reach out beforehand for specific people you’d like to meet and also be open to just the serendipity of it all.

#Purpose Conferences are always great to network around; at the same time, easy to get dissolved clinging to the known friends. Nothing wrong... But, just to be conscious to achieve THE purpose, "why we are, where we are!" Some tips based on personal practice: + Go with a target number of "new" connections to get established; it can be 5 or 10 or 25, but it is ones desire (don't over do or over ambitious, though) + If get pulled into a known circle, ensure not to spend more than 5-mins; remember to ask the known person(s) to introduce you to at least someone they know and value in the crowd + Be the first to stike a conversation... if you are an introvert, bond with an extrovert friend to navigate through

In the realm of networking, conferences are great grounds. Encourage yourself to strike up conversations with other guests, lecturers, and exhibitors. Do not be scared to do so. Nevertheless, quality is more important than quantity. Your primary focus should be developing genuine connections with others who share your interests or who have the potential to work with you in the future of collaboration. I recently attended a conference where I met a representative from a software firm whose product offered a solution to a problem that I was experiencing at my place of employment. After having a wonderful talk with you, I set up a follow-up call to discuss the various potential options available.

Networking is a valuable aspect of attending professional conferences, so make an effort to connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and exhibitors. Approach networking with a genuine curiosity and interest in learning from others, and be proactive in initiating conversations, exchanging contact information, and following up with new connections after the conference.

Networking can conjure up fear and feelings of awkwardness of not knowing what to say or how to network. Yet simply smiling and striking up a simple conversation is all it can take to ease any nerves! -Approach with a smile, introduce yourself, and ask open-ended questions. -Focus on quality connections relevant to your goals. -Use conference tools to identify key individuals. Spend a little time to research who you'd like to speak with. -Share your story, skills, and insights to be memorable. Think about what you'd like to share -Offer assistance and follow up with gratitude. - Effective networking can open doors and foster valuable collaborations in your career journey. Enjoy the conference, be proactive and show genuine interest!

In my experience, reflecting on your experience and lessons learnt is great activity post-conference. Following up with people you met is also a great way to stay connected with them.

Take time to reflect on your experiences and insights gained during the conference, and identify actionable steps or next steps to apply what you've learned in your professional life. Follow up with contacts made during the conference, send thank-you notes, and leverage the knowledge and connections gained to advance your career, projects, or personal development goals.

Be open to the unexpected. Big conferences have so much going on and sometimes you’d come across things that were just not on your radar but are a great match. Curiosity is king - ask loads of questions, keep going until you hit a dead end, then move on, or until you find the thing that can be a game changer. Be courageous. Step out of your comfort zone. These opportunities don’t come along all the time and you could miss out on a great opportunity. If you find the one thing that is the next thing, and you don’t have to stay, leave. Your costs are sunk, s get started on that thing, as everything else is not for now.