Do These 7 Things Before The Next Industry Event
Attending a conference is one of the best decisions you will ever make for your career or business growth. It’s a haven for networking, learning what’s hot in the niche, and meeting industry thought leaders. However, if you don’t prepare adequately, you might not be able to make the most of the conference. After all, a bit of planning has never hurt anyone.
Do the following 7 things before attending the next industry event or conference; you’ll be glad you did.
1. Get your Business Cards Ready
If you are going to attend the conference with the aim of improving your personal or business brand, then you might want to get special business cards printed. In the digital era, it’s best not to forget to add your blog/website URL, your twitter handle, Facebook page, and so forth.
2. Prepare Promotional Materials
If you want to take it a step further, business cards might not be sufficient. Take it up a notch by making dozens of custom t-shirts, keyholders, baseball caps, and whatnot made with your website URL or logo printed on them. They’ll help you stand out from the rest of the attendees.
3. Do Your Homework
Who are you looking to meet during the conference? Are you attending every session of the conference? You see, the whole idea of attending certain conferences is to get a chance to meet speakers, colleagues or presenters that influence you. That’s why it pays to do a little research beforehand. And, don’t forget to research what value you can offer them as well.
4. Wind Up your To-do List
When you attend a conference, you want to be in the right mindset, have a positive attitude, and have plenty of energy. To tie up loose ends, you need to meet deadlines as well as finish projects and tasks early enough so you can attend the conference with a clear mind. Also, if you cannot finish certain tasks, let them wait until you are back; don’t attempt to juggle two balls at the same time. Having a clear frame of heart and mind will help set yourself up for success right from the word “go.”
5. Prepare Icebreakers
What are your chit chat pointers, conversation starters, and opening questions? If you want to get the most out of a conference, you need to round up some icebreaker statements or questions. It is often prudent to find commonalities or shared interests with people you hope to meet. Think of what the important takeaways from the last conference; they might help get the convo going.
6. Get Social
Whatever the central tenet of the conference is, it should help take your social media strategy to the next level. Take advantage of LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ connections to ensure to build buzz around your brand before attending the conference.
7. Catch Up on What’s Hot in the Industry
Start off by reading industry news around the conference you are attending. They’ll help you understand what might be impacting the attendees. The good news is that there are several different news sources that might come handy, including Yahoo, Google News, etc.
Join Now, Grow Your Network!
Join the Independent Hair and Beauty Retailer Association today and access our network of over 35,000 retailers and partners. We are a leading resource for insight within current retail hair and beauty trends and industry updates. Our members get exclusive access to data points, powerful tools for business success, and networking opportunities that propel their business opportunities to new heights.
