How to Prepare for Your Upcoming Business Conference

Getting the most out of your attendance at a business conference is not just good for your career but it also demonstrates good stewardship of your company’s commitment to you and the resources that make your attendance possible.

Here are five ways to prepare for your upcoming conference so you can get the most out of it:

Dress for success. Don’t hesitate to go shopping and add something new to your wardrobe for the conference. It’s important to feel confident and often looking your best can increase your confidence level and enable you to make those important connections.

Set up contacts in advance. You might not get a list of attendees in advance, but you’ll likely know some of the speakers or panelists who will be there. Identify a few people to get in touch with prior to the conference, letting them know you’ll be attending, and try to set up lunch or even a quick coffee. 

Be clear with yourself about what you are looking to gain from the meeting.

Plan your schedule. Don’t wait until you get to the conference to decide how you’ll use your time there. Even if you’re unable to get a detailed schedule you can get a general sense for the keynote presentations that you want to attend.

Pack your business cards. Be sure to have your business cards at the ready and up-to-date with your current job title and accurate contact information.

Get rest. Conferences can be very busy and overwhelming so prepare for this by getting enough rest in advance, and if possible, take a nap on the plane if you’re flying.

Use the time away to recharge your batteries and gain some new ideas for your company and career.

Making the Most of a Professional Conference

So, you have a professional conference coming up and you want to use the time and experience more productively. Here are a few tips to make the most of your upcoming professional conference.

1. Engage online prior to the conference. Many conferences start online groups on Facebook or Twitter for attendees to start the conversation early. Be sure to join and get engaged. You might want to pose a few questions, such as asking for advice for a first-time attendee or finding out what sessions or topics others are most interested in.

2. Identify 3-5 individuals you want to meet and schedule meetings in advance. Look over the schedule and the featured speakers and identify a few you'd like to meet. Likely you can find their contact information easily with a simple search. Send a brief message letting the person know what you'd like to discuss with an offer to buy a coffee or drink. Most people are generous and you can count on several of these forays to result in a meeting.

3. Narrow your focus and plan to attend fewer sessions than you want to attend. You can usually find session after session that sounds interesting and valuable but you might want to consider planning to attend fewer than you think at first glance. You'll want to save time for those sessions that go long, provoke spontaneous conversations among attendees, or offer you an opportunity to talk with one of the presenters.

4. Schedule time to rest and recharge. You'll be at your best and enjoy the conference more if you schedule regular time to rest, get away from the crowds, and recharge.

5. Follow the people you meet on social and mention or retweet them. In addition to collecting business cards be sure to follow the people you meet on their social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and share or retweet information they put out there.

6. Send a brief message of thanks and follow-up with your new contacts within a week of the conference. Once you get home and get resettled you'll want to send a note of thanks to those you meet and invite them to connect with you on your social media channels.

These are just a few of the steps you can take to get the most out of your upcoming professional conference.

Making the Most of a Conference

Almost every industry and profession offers conferences. They are a great way to keep current on what is happening, learn what the future holds, discover new ideas, and make new contacts in your industry or profession. Some people are fortunate enough to work for a company that will pay to send them to a conference. If you aren’t that lucky but can shoulder the personal expense and time away, you should make it a point to look into attending a conference.

Plan ahead
To get the most out of a conference, plan for it. Review conference materials to determine what speakers and lectures or workshops you want to attend. In addition to looking for interesting sessions, consider those that would be most helpful to your current job or career. Factor in the expertise and delivery style of the speaker. Most importantly, make sure the content of the conference sessions is worth your time and money.

Capture key messages and ideas
Conferences are typically loaded with content and ideas, and it can be daunting trying to recall the content once you return to the office. To help with this, capture notes or handouts during the session, and if there’s time, recap immediately after a session.

Network while you’re there
Conferences are one of the best ways to broaden your professional network, so take advantage of all the opportunities. Before attending, prepare a 60-second “elevator pitch” of who you are and what you do professionally. Take in some of the off-hour social events, which tend to be more informal but designed for networking. Interact with those you know, but remember, your focus should be on meeting new people. Gather business cards from people you would like to stay in touch with, and then reach out to them within a week or two of the conference.

Planning enables you to be fully engaged at the conference so that you come away further energized and even more excited about your profession and/or industry.

Five Reasons to Plan a Professional Conference

I was recently named registration chair for a regional coaching conference to be held this summer, and I couldn't be more thrilled with this opportunity. See, I love attending conferences: networking with other professionals, engaging in informative education sessions, learning new skills, staying abreast with industry trends...they serve to "light my professional fire." But being on the planning team for a conference boosts this even further. Why should you consider helping to plan a professional conference?

In-depth networking: It's one thing to meet someone at a conference and have a series of nice conversations over lunch or during an educational program. But planning a conference enables you to get to know a set of professionals sooner, longer, and the quality of your interactions are more in-depth. They get a sense of you as a professional: your interests, your drive,  your passion, and your experience. The relationships you make can last you a lifetime, and those relationships can result in wonderful career opportunities for you and for them.

Solve new problems: In the workplace, the problems you solve can become too familiar after some time, with the same issues being tackled by the same individuals and groups. Planning a conference creates a "shock" to your system where the problems are newer, the environment fresh, and you are challenged in different ways.

Use different skills: Similar to the point above,  you become used to using a certain set of skills in your current occupation. When planning a conference, however, you employ new or different skills to tackle the new problems you are confronted with. In my role as registration chair, I see spreadsheets, technology-issues, and essential communication between myself and other conference attendees in my future. I look forward to doing something different and in a different context in service of my professional community.

Resume booster: Helping to plan a conference should most certainly go on your resume as a professional development activity. The initiative you conveyed, accomplishments you achieved, skills utilized, and problems solved help to show you in another professional lens, one that you want to profile to future employers.

Free or discounted registration: It isn't uncommon to receive free or discounted registration for a conference when on the planning committee. This is a nice perk, but don't let it be the primary driving factor of why you participate: you will be disappointed quickly because the time you put in to plan doesn't begin to cover the costs. Rather, see what you are doing in light of the first three points. You'll be happier for it, and the registration will simply be the cherry on top of the professional sundae you've created.

So what are you waiting for? Contact a professional organization in your field today, find out when their next conference is, and volunteer!