Conferences play an important part in entrepreneurial life. Attending a conference lets you network with your business community and kick around ideas with people who understand the journey.
Whether you’re attending a conference virtually or IRL, here are five tips to maximize your conference experience to make deeper connections:
- Select the conference for your unique goals.
List out your business goals. If you’re looking to come away with a broad overview of the industry, larger conferences might be the best fit for you. On the other hand, if you’re looking to network and create more meaningful connections with people in the industry, a smaller conference with more tight-knit interactions might be the way to go.
- Identify what you want to receive.
What do you want to get out of the experience? Take time to establish your priority. Then get familiar with the agenda so you don’t miss out on the parts that speak to your overall goals.
- Make networking connections.
You can learn something from everyone, so meet as many people as you can. Make a powerful first impression and keep your business cards handy.
- Take time to reflect on the conference.
While the experience is still fresh, take a Clarity Break™ to reflect on all the things you learned and compare them to the goals you set. Consider sharing what you learned with your colleagues and team.
- Continue to talk with others in your industry.
EOS Worldwide Visionary Mark O’Donnell advises you to continue the conversation. “By discussing what you learned, you can cement the information in your brain, inspire others, and create a thoroughly more valuable experience.”