As important as it is to attend marketing events, whether to network, to get your name out there, or to tap into the latest insights, it’s very time-consuming. It may be time well spent, but it also involves a lot of downtime that can feel rather unproductive. Here, we’re going to look at what you can do to make the best use of all of your time at the event, rather than just letting it go without knowing what you accomplished.
Maximize Your Networking Opportunities
There’s no shortage of marketing potential at the many marketing expos and conferences you might go to, so be sure to bring your business cards with you. Do more than schedule a few meet-ups, arrive early to mingle, attend side events or mixers, and follow up with new contacts on LinkedIn that evening. You want the occasional private breakfast to collect yourself, but try to find company during breaks and lunches that could lead to new collaborations and client leads down the line. If you’re staying overnight, then try to book yourself in at a place where other attendees are also staying. Increasing your chances of informal meet-and-greets can put you in a great position to make valuable new connections.
Prepare An Agenda
An event might be full of great opportunities to listen, network, and otherwise build up your insights and connections. However, you shouldn’t just be wandering around the venue, ready to visit the first thing that catches your eye. Before the event, identify the sessions and speakers most relevant to your current goals. Download the event app or brochure, if there’s one available, to set reminders and build a personalized schedule. Also, plan questions you’d like answered or issues you want to explore. If you have clear intentions and a bullet point list of things you would like to attend, you can make much more valuable use of your time. Of course, maintain a little bit of flexibility so that you’re able to
Use Downtime Wisely
While you are going to need some time to relax now and then, the gaps in your schedule can feel particularly wasted. This is especially true of those gaps between checking in or out of a hotel and arriving or departing on your train. Thankfully, plenty of stations offer services like luggage storage in Victoria Station, allowing you to avoid having to stand at the platform for an hour or more with all of your things. You can find a local cafe to have a strategy meeting with your team or even look for coworking offices in the area where you can get out your laptop and either follow up on leads from the conference or just get some work done that you would otherwise miss out on.
Find Opportunities For Organic Content
A good event isn’t just the opportunity to build your marketing expertise and contact list, it’s the opportunity to market yourself, as well. There are nigh endless opportunities for content creation at these events. Get ready to take photos, record snippets of conversations, and make a note of any quotes or ideas that are shared with you. You can live-blog the whole thing on LinkedIn or Twitter, or if you’re afraid of missing out on the event itself, you can wait until it’s done to look back over everything you’ve captured for the best highlights. Not only does this reinforce your learnings, but it also positions you as someone engaged and informed in your field. Just make sure you know the policies of the event and ask for consent before you record or share anything involving other attendees or guests.
Take The Time To Get To Know The Local Marketing Scene
If you’re traveling far from home, then you should try to shake hands with the city’s local marketing ecosystem. Get to know agencies and start-ups that are in the area and see if you can arrange for a quick chat or even an informal visit. Even taking a walk around the city’s business districts and creative neighborhoods can stir up plenty of inspiration for visuals and ideas that you might want to use in the future. Expanding your horizons can also expand your marketing repertoire so take advantage of the location itself if you can.
The next time you go to an event, make sure that you go with a game plan. The tips above can help you put it together, making the best use of the opportunities, the downtime, and even the opportunity to create brand new content to market your own business.
