Reach Partners
  • Home
  • What We Do
    • Case Studies
  • How We Do It
  • Who We Are
  • Blog

An Event Planner's Guide to Attending an Event

7/23/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
This won’t be a big surprise to many of you, but we love conferences and big events.

Yes, it’s true that we enjoy organizing them. We also enjoy attending them.

After all, you can gather information by watching online videos or reading about the latest industry trends via article or book. However, nothing replaces the face-to-face interactions that happen when people gather for a specific purpose.

When you attend a shared event or conference, you have opportunities to connect with others. You may gather new insight or hear a different perspective. When done right, conferences are energizing. You will walk away with at least a few tips that can make your personal or professional life stronger.

That said, every successful conference requires you to put forth some effort.

Here’s how you can make the most out of your time at a large event or gathering.
Before the Conference or Event
  1. Set goals for yourself. What is one or two things you want to accomplish during the conference? Do you want to meet three new people? Introduce yourself to the presenter? Ask a friend to introduce you to someone you’ve always wanted to meet? If you go into the day with goals, it will be easier to leave fulfilled.

  2. Review the agenda and research presenters ahead of time. Follow them on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. (If the conference has a lot of presenters, create a Twitter list.) Finding presenters ahead of time makes it easier to post on social media sites during the conference. Does the presenter have a blog or a published book? You may want to read their material. It will enhance your understanding of the presentation.

  3. Follow the conference hashtag on Twitter and Instagram. You’ll see who else is attending and start building relationships beforehand. 

  4. Put together a conference kit that includes a phone charger; a notebook and pen; business cards; a small snack; a water bottle; and, of course, a sweater or jacket. Your mom likely told you to grab a sweatshirt or sweater if you were going out, “just in case.” The same applies for conferences. Rooms can be cool, or you’ll find yourself sitting in the path of blowing air. A sweater or jacket will make you much more comfortable.

During the Conference or Event
  1. Attend as many activities and presentations as possible – even the social hour the night before or the happy hour right after the conference. All conference activities have a purpose. Take advantage of them.

  2. Be intentional about who you sit by. If you’re attending the event for personal development or networking, sit by someone new. Don’t hang out with the same people you see at the office every day. If you’re attending the event for team building, sit by your coworkers or colleagues.

  3. Introduce yourself to someone new. Make a connection by asking questions and listening. If talking to new people is difficult, start by saying “hi.” Is there someone that you connected with on social media before the event? Seek them out for an in-person conversation. Prepare some questions ahead of time: Who was your favorite speaker this morning: Which speaker resonated with you the most and why? What speaker are you looking forward to hearing?

  4.  Be on your phone. Okay, don’t be on your phone ALL day. Put it down during breaks and meals (this is not the time to check email – set up an out-of-office auto-response). That said, you shouldn’t underestimate the power of using social media during a conference. Live-tweet, follow the conference hashtag, and like favorite posts.

  5. Take notes. Or do whatever helps you to listen better. I love writing notes by hand. Kirsten of Next Action Digital introduced me to the Rocketbook, a digital notebook. I can take handwritten notes and then send them to Dropbox for storage and reference later.

  6. Show gratitude. It takes a lot of time, energy and work to put together a conference. Say thank you to volunteers who are handing out swag. Take notice of the staff or committee members who are around. Be kind to catering staff who are making sure you get fed.

After the Conference or Event
  1. Follow up. I love it when I go to an event and two hours later, a LinkedIn invitation (with a personalized note) from someone I met shows up in my inbox. Take time to reach out to someone you connected with at a conference. Send them a handwritten note or invite them to coffee. (I LOVE using Calendly to set up coffee dates.)

  2. Identify any ideas or concepts that should be shared with coworkers. Take a moment to jot down one or two takeaways from the day’s presentations. You won’t remember as much as you want to, but writing down what excites you in the moment will help prompt your memory.

Enjoy your next conference or event!

– Anita
 
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Reach Partners

    Categories

    All
    Anita
    Beauty
    Communication
    Connection
    Empathy
    Events
    Facilitation
    Gratitude
    Integrity
    Meeting
    Partner Stories
    Possibility
    Project Management
    Rachel
    Resources
    Strategy
    Team

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013

Join our newsletter
CONTACT US
Reach Partners, Inc
3330 Fiechtner Dr. Suite 100
​Fargo, ND 58103-2321
701-271-8170
Copyright (C) 2022  Reach Partners Inc.
  • Home
  • What We Do
    • Case Studies
  • How We Do It
  • Who We Are
  • Blog