Resources for Maximizing Your Conference Experience

You already know how important networking is to your business, and your calendar has been populated with several events per month. It’s time to make sure that all that money and time you have invested is put to good use. Here are some resources to help you maximize your conference experience. TRAVEL These resources help you find good deals on your travel needs.

1. Kayak.com
2. List of 25 resources from CNN
3. Travel Toolbox from Mashable

I suggest you keep a travel checklist to help make sure you bring all the necessities. Here are some example items to put on that checklist:

1. List of toiletry items
2. Household tasks to complete before leaving
3. List of clothing items you will need to bring
4. Check your systems to discover support materials you will need for any due items while you are traveling

For organizing and planning your travels, I recommend using Google Calendar along with either Google Notebook or BackPack, but any calendar and word processor application will do. PROMOTIONAL ITEMS Consider some light weight promotional items to carry with you. You can give these to people you network with or leave them at strategic locations throughout the venue. Depending on the dress code and venue, wear company branded shirts along with other branded items such as, backpacks, mouse pads, hats, etc… Don’t forget to add business cards to your travel checklist. CREATING BUZZ Publicize prior to the event on your website and blog. Update your blog during and after the event to draw people looking for more information about the event. Send out a newsletter to your key clients with a summary of valuable information learned at the event. NETWORKING STRATEGIES Read How to Win Friends & Influence People at least twice and listen to the audio version while in transit. Before the event, identify who you want to meet and create an agenda for each person you identified. Read up on the background of each person you plan to meet and their company. If possible, make contact prior to the event and look for ways to help that person or their company. Keep a pen handy to write key facts on the back of business cards you obtain to serve as reminders later. FOLLOW UP Invest in a business card scanner and make sure that you schedule a follow up task for each person. I suggest you check out HighRise for that purpose. How do you maximize your conference experience?