9 Tips for Getting the Most From Your Conference Investment

Home
>
Business Management
>
9 Tips for Getting the Most From Your Conference Investment

9 Tips for Getting the Most From Your Conference Investment

Tips for Getting the Most From Your Conference Investment

All professionals attend conferences, seminars, and trade shows each year. Through my observation and person experience here are my top tips for maximizing your time and monetary investment in these events.

1. Set goals for the event. Think about what you hope to gain from your attendance. Be specific and write them down! Consider your goals for specific content areas, specific questions you hope to have answered, number and kinds of people you want to meet and/or amount of new business you hope to gain. Goal setting here is like in anything else. Be specific, write them down and then focus on achieving them.

2. Invest some time in planning. Sit down before the event with the schedule or agenda. Think about which sessions will best help you meet your goals. Schedule your day to take best advantage of those opportunities. Often you find yourself with many good sessions to choose from. This is one of the values of your goals. Refer to your goals and let them guide you. You did bring that list of goals with you didn't you?

3. Schedule your meals! Conferences are a prime time to learn in a more relaxed atmosphere. Schedule your meals with key colleagues, clients, presenters, or others you would really like to meet. You'll be surprised how easy this is to do, even with people you don't know yet, if you plan ahead just a little. Have too many people you want to have meals with? Invite more than one! Or schedule some meetings during a slower time during the conference program.

4. Network! Take advantage of all the networking opportunities available. If there is planned networking activities, be there early! Consider the Exposition or trade show as a networking opportunity (not only with the exhibitors, but also with your fellow participants. Who knows who you might meet standing in a line?) Have plenty of business cards and spend more time listening than talking. Don't forget the time before a session starts when most people just sit and wait for something to happen. Don't just sit there, network!

5. Capture ideas. Sometimes there isn't much room but your lap to write during a session. Don't worry! Follow your instincts and your best habits about the amount of notes to take. I urge you though to, at a minimum, to write down the action ideas you got during the session. These ideas might not even have anything to do with what the speaker is saying - no matter! Capture those gems so you have them for later.

6. Have fun! All of these tips require a little bit of rigor and planning - even this one! As you try to reach your goals and maximize your time, leave time for some fun and allow yourself the opportunity to let serendipity happen. If at the last minute your instinct says to go to a different session than the one you had planned, or to skip a session to get to know a new person, let yourself! It may be the best time you spend during the whole event.

7. Get some sleep. Conferences and shows can be long and harrowing. You will be at your best if you get some sleep. Too much of #6 (having fun) may leave you short on this one. Find some balance and get some rest. You'll be glad you did.

8. Review your notes and ideas. Compare your list to your goals. How did you do? Take the time to prioritize the ideas you generated. Schedule the most important ones - with the rest of your tasks, giving them appropriate priority. If you can't find time to implement what you learned, why did you go? Make sure you take action on at least the most beneficial of your new ideas. If you have notes beyond action ideas, consider scheduling a short amount of time each day for the next week to review those notes. The repetition will help solidify the new concepts and principles in your mind, increasing the learning you gained from the session.

9. Send thank you notes. You collected business cards as you networked right? Or made a note of the really fabulous session leader you listened to? When you get home, take the time to write some brief thank you notes. You benefit by sending positive thoughts into the world, as well as being more memorable to the receiver. True gratitude is important to acknowledge and share. Make the time to do it!

If you will take action on these nine tips, you will gain more from your conference dollar, improve the return on your time investment, as well as making the Conference more fun and a better learning experience.

©2000, All Rights Reserved, Kevin Eikenberry. Kevin is the President of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a learning consulting company that helps their Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. Go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/speaking/ speaking.asp to learn more about customized keynote speeches offered or contact Kevin at toll free 888.LEARNER.

In The News:

Mines Management Inc. : Prepares for Exploration on La Estrella Gold-Silver ...
Reuters
RELEASE 12-05 MINES MANAGEMENT PREPARES FOR EXPLORATION ON LA ESTRELLA GOLD-SILVER PROJECT Spokane, Washington - May 25, 2012 - Mines Management, Inc. (NYSE-Amex: "MGN", TSX: "MGT") (the "Company") is pleased to announce preparations, ...
Mines Management Inc. : Update - Prepares For Exploration On La Estrella Gold ...MarketWatch (press release)

all 8 news articles »

Management Tip of the Day: Hire for passion
Reuters
The Management Tip of the Day offers quick, practical management tips and ideas from Harvard Business Review and HBR.org (www.hbr.org). Any opinions expressed are not endorsed by Reuters. "People are more creative when they feel passionate about their ...

and more »

Apollo Global Management Completes Acquisition of EP Energy
MarketWatch (press release)
Sam Oh, partner at Apollo, stated, "We are delighted to partner with one of North America's leading exploration and production franchises led by a world class team of managers. Our acquisition of EP Energy solidifies Apollo's natural resources platform ...

and more »

New York Magazine
JPMorgan Chase Risk Management Committee Missing Bank Directors, Financial ...
Huffington Post
What the committee's missing that all the other big banks have: people who worked as financial risk managers. The makeup of JPMorgan's committee hasn't changed since 2008, but the bank was warned last year that it wasn't up to the task of monitoring ...
JP Morgan's Risks Aren't Well-Managed Because JP Morgan Doesn't Want Sound ...Slate Magazine (blog)

all 12 news articles »

SAS in Leaders Quadrant of Magic Quadrant for CRM Multichannel Campaign Management
MarketWatch (press release)
CARY, NC, May 25, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- SAS is in the Leaders quadrant in Gartner Inc.'s latest, "Magic Quadrant for CRM Multichannel Campaign Management"(1) This places SAS, the leader in business analytics and integrated marketing management, ...

and more »

VIP Wins Project Management Contract for California Secretary of State
MarketWatch (press release)
SACRAMENTO, CA, May 25, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- The California Secretary of State awarded Visionary Integration Professionals (VIP) a contract for just under $1 million to provide project management services for the California Business Connect ...

and more »

Strategic Information Management Provider Stibo Systems Achieves Record Growth
MarketWatch (press release)
Stibo Systems, the Strategic Information Management Company, today announced significant financial growth highlighted by new customer contracts, additional deployments from existing clients, and expansion into new vertical industries and geographies ...

and more »

TheBull.com.au
Sims Metal Management Market Update for Fiscal 2012
MarketWatch (press release)
CHICAGO & SYDNEY, May 24, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Sims Metal Management Limited (the "Company") advises that basis the continuation of global economic challenges and headwinds, and with only 10 months results known at this point, that full year ...
Sims Metal Management shares dive after profit warningHerald Sun
Sims Metal savaged on earnings warningThe Australian
From Earlier: Sims Metal Management Market Update for Fiscal 2012Benzinga

all 59 news articles »

TEXT-Fitch affirms SCB Asset Management at 'M2+(tha)'
Reuters
(To remove the RIC SCB.BK which was wrongly inserted beside text) (The following statement was released by the rating agency) May 25 - Fitch Ratings (Thailand) has affirmed Thailand-based SCB Asset Management Co., Ltd.'s (SCBAM) National Asset Manager ...

and more »

Goldman Sachs Asset Management Plans Private Japan REIT
Wall Street Journal (blog)
Goldman Sachs Asset Management Co. aims to launch the fund in July or August with an initial size of around Y30 billion to Y50 billion. It will aim to increase the size of the private REIT to around Y100 billion in two to three years, the person said.

and more »

Google News