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Technology Conference season is in full swing! We had a short break during COVID but live in-person events have come roaring back and the temptation to attend is compelling!
These events offer the promise of meeting new people, getting business updates on new technology trends, gaining valuable business contacts, and not to mention many of them are in exciting exotics locations! The potential value is intoxicating.
Of course they’re also very expensive and time-consuming. You typically need to purchase a conference pass plus pay for travel and accommodations, resulting in thousands of dollars per person. And they can tie up days and sometimes a full week of your time. If you’re not careful, you can waste a lot of money and time without reaping the rewards that you hope to achieve.
But with some careful planning and preparation, you are guaranteed to get fantastic Return on Investment.
From my first-hand experience, here are 5 best tips to get the most bang for your buck (and time!) from a technology conference.
The Best Advice for Maximum ROI
To ensure you maximize your investment when attending a live technology conference, you should:
- Rehearse your elevator pitch.
- Have a specific call to action for prospects.
- Scope out the agenda and hit the important sessions.
- Set a goal to learn something new.
- Find the smartest person in the room and introduce yourself!
The 5 Best Tips to Get the Most Value Out of Tech Conferences
The 5 best tips to maximize your ROI on tech conferences are:
1. Rehearse Your Elevator Pitch
The Elevator Pitch never goes out of style! In case you’re new to this, an elevator pitch is a 30-60 second description of you and your company. It’s REALLY DIFFICULT to develop but SO VALUABLE when meeting new people.
Anyone can ramble on for 10 minutes about themselves and/or their company. But put a 60 second time limit on it, and watch people bob and weave and stumble, often mentioning things that aren’t important while omitting the most critical data points.
Take the time to get the description(s) right, and practice in front of a mirror until it’s perfect. Your new business acquaintances will thank you!
2. Have a Specific Call to Action Prepared in Advance
Ideally you will meet a number of valuable prospects and business contacts at the event. To ensure you don’t squander the opportunity, have a follow up plan prepared in advance.
If you meet someone who may be important to your business, what do you want them to do immediately following your conversation? Book a meeting with you or someone in your organization? Go to your website? Read a brochure? Watch a video? Fill out a questionnaire?
Have a plan, and clearly articulate the next step to the person on the spot in real-time to make sure they go down the path that you suggest. It ensures you capture the opportunity immediately vs. waiting until you return home before you proceed (or not!) with the dreaded event follow ups.
By the way, here’s a great Call to Action when meeting a brand new business prospect.
3. Scope Out The Agenda and Hit The Important Sessions
What’s the agenda for the event? When are the keynote sessions, what breakout sessions are important to you, what are the Vendor Exhibit hours, and when are the networking receptions?
I’ve met with hundreds of attendees over the years that don’t prioritize this and end up missing amazing opportunities to learn new things and network with peers and industry experts.
Furthermore, I’ve met with others who skip half the sessions to lay by the pool or hit the golf course.
In my opinion, if you want to swim or golf, book a vacation. If you travelled to this tech conference, get the most out of your trip and prioritize the sessions and networking opportunities!
4. Set a Goal to Learn Something New
You’ve spent money and invested time to get to the event. Take some new knowledge back as a souvenir. Maybe it’s a new technology. Maybe it’s a specific vendor that you’ve been looking forward to meeting. Maybe there’s a new area of business that you’d like to improve on.
Think of your goal in advance, research the attendees and sessions, and prioritize your efforts to learn.
5. Find the Smartest Person in the Room and Introduce Yourself!
One thing’s for certain. Technology conferences are full of really smart people. And many smart people like sharing their knowledge with others!
During the keynote and breakout sessions, pay attention to the people in the crowd who are asking questions and offering opinions. If someone catches your attention, make note of who they are, and seek them out.
In the hallway. During breakfast. At the bar. Find them, ask a few questions, then sit back and listen. Most likely you’ll go home with several great new ideas for your business.
Conclusion
Hopefully these points have made you think twice before attending your next IT conference. These live events can be very valuable and rewarding, but only if you have a plan in advance. Don’t wing it.
If adding new customers is a top priority for you, watch this video on One Simple Strategy to Increase New Customer Acquisition by 50% this year.
