25 Tips for Making the Most Out of Your In-Person Conference Attendance

By Gina Rubel and Jennifer Simpson Carr

Pre-Conference

You’re going to an in-person industry conference. Now what? Have you done anything to strategically prepare to get the most out of your attendance and networking, or are you just going with a wing and a prayer that you’ll get something out of it?

Here are ten pre-conference planning tips for productivity and profitability:

1. Make a plan. Know why you are attending the conference and what you want to get out of it. Then develop a plan on how to accomplish your goals. Answer three simple questions: Why am I attending? Who do I want to meet? What do I need to accomplish?
2. Organize a pre-conference get-together. Start planning early and find out who is attending and during what dates. If you can arrive a day earlier, encourage some of the folks you want to connect with to do the same. Then, invite them to an intimate pre-conference get-together.
3. Create a social media group of conference attendees (or join one that has been created) that you wish to connect with. Stay in touch with them before the conference. Tell them you are looking forward to meeting or seeing them at the conference. And use the conference hashtag for general correspondence about the conference.
4. Prepare a little gift for 10 to 20 (or more) people with whom you wish to connect. For example, if you’re from Philadelphia, you could bring Tastykakes and Tootsie Rolls, put them in small gift bags with your business card, and a note stating that you look forward to connecting or reconnecting with the individual. If you’re from Vermont, it could be Maple Syrup. No matter where you are from, there is something unique that you could share with select attendees.
5. Review the attendee list thoroughly and determine who you want to connect with at the conference. Make a point to reach out before the conference and invite them to meet for coffee, breakfast, lunch, or dinner, to share an Uber to or from the hotel, or to meet in the lounge for an evening beverage. There is always a way to meet – even when attending a conference with little downtime.
6. Plan your program agenda and know which sessions you will attend. Reach out and introduce yourself to a speaker or speakers and let them know what you hope to get out of their program and that you are looking forward to hearing them speak. Follow up at the program with a self-introduction.
7. Update your social media profile image, especially those on LinkedIn. Make sure it is a recent photo so that other attendees will recognize you when they see you, especially if you are an active user of a conference hashtag or in a social media conference group.
8. Prepare your packing checklist for the conference, such as business cards, branded pens (to share with people who need a pen), personal and branded name tags, conference badge flags that promote fun and conversation, or other items you can think of that help to develop relationships and serve as icebreakers. And if you are known for wearing funky socks, hats, broaches, bow ties, or scarves, be sure to include them in your packing list.
9. Have contact details for everyone you want to connect with on your mobile device and include their photo so you can easily remember who is who. If you’re asking where to find their photos, do a Google search. You’ll likely find a picture connected to their company bios or LinkedIn profile.
10. Be prepared for insightful conversations. Be sure to do your homework. Read the online profiles of the people you want to connect with. Print and review the profiles in advance of the conference. Then when you meet those people, be sincere. Have a conversation. Get to know them.

Conference attendance is as much about business development as it is about relationship development and professional development. Spend time preparing to get the best return on your conference investment.

During Conference

You have a plan. Great! How can you capitalize on opportunities to develop content relevant to your target audience and build relationships with presenters?

Here are five during-conference tips:

1. Note key theme(s)/takeaway(s) from each session and put these themes in the context of the session discussion. This information can be essential to spot trends and create relevant social media posts.
2. Specifically quote or mention panelists on your social media channels who are (a) current clients, (b) prospective clients, or (c) are well-known/respected in the industry (note: mentioning or quoting these individuals in content is an opportunity to create awareness and potentially increased the reach of your social media content online).
3. Capture images and photos throughout the conference that can be used in post-event social media content and brand pieces (such as panel photos, pictures of your attorneys with other conference attendees, images of materials with your firm’s logo, etc.)
4. Find out if there will be video or audio recordings of your firm’s attorney sessions. These can be repurposed as post-conference pieces and run on the firm’s website.
5. Use audio recordings of your firm’s session to create a transcript using AI, such as Rev or Temi, which are low-cost transcription applications. These can be turned into Client Alerts, blog posts, or even guest expert commentary/Q&A content.

Post-Conference

Now what? What do you do with all the contacts you made as a result of your networking and the information you gathered? How do you maintain momentum?

Here are ten tips for getting the most out of conference attendance:

1. Debrief. Debrief immediately following the conference. Write notes on the back of business cards on who you want to reach and what you want to accomplish because of your post-conference follow-ups.
2. Send notes. Send hand-written notes to select individuals who you wish to connect with personally and send personalized follow-up emails to others. Add those same individuals to your contact database or CRM tool.
3. Connect on social media. Look up on LinkedIn and connect with them. Then do the same thing with other social media platforms if you haven’t connected with them already. While there many social media outlets on which you can connect, a best practice is to wait to connect on Facebook until you’ve established a more familiar relationship.
4. Reconnect with speakers. Review materials from the various speakers and send those you want to connect with an email with your thoughts, ideas, or feedback from their program.
5. Answer surveys. Be sure to provide valuable and honest feedback on all the post-conference surveys, when offered, to help the organizer meet the audience’s wants and needs.
6. Publish takeaways. Write and publish a blog or article about what you learned and how it can be implemented among your circle of influence. Be sure to link to the bios of key presenters as well as the books, articles, or blogs they have authored. When you share the content on social media, tag the people and organizations mentioned to build goodwill and increase engagement.
7. Say thank you. Send thank you notes to everyone deserving. For example, did someone buy you a coffee, invite you to dinner, or share the cost of an Uber ride? If so, be sure to express your gratitude.
8. Reshare. Search for valuable content from the conference on social media streams and reshare content with a nod to the person who shared the original post. And don’t forget to use the conference hashtag, even post-conference.
9. Invite. Invite key contacts to subscribe to your company’s eNewsletter, eAlerts, or blog. Let them know why the information would be a helpful resource to them.
10. Reconnect. Schedule follow-up calls or meetings with selected individuals with whom you wish to develop and more productive relationship.

Successful conference attendance takes planning and time. Implementing these tips will generate a more positive return on your conference investment and can set you apart from your competition.