Conferences: Maximizing Your Relationships Before, During, and After
PART 1
PART 2
How do you maximize your connections before, during, and after a conference? What should you do to capitalize on this opportunity?
A conference can be an opportunity to land potential guests, clients, and referral partners. These events allow you to expand your network by making new connections while strengthening the relationships you’ve already established.
While preparing for the conference, you can familiarize yourself with attendees by looking at their profiles, reaching out, and developing relationships with them. During the event, connect to the exhibitors by introducing yourself and following up on LinkedIn. Capitalize on this opportunity to expand your network by connecting and forming professional relationships with attendees.
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Begin building relationships before the conference.
Oftentimes, there are threads on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Slack associated with the conference that allows you to interact with other attendees. Utilize conference channels to propose questions and topics of discussion. This is an excellent way to begin building relationships with other industry leaders who would be appropriate to include in your network.
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Introduce yourself to exhibitors.
Exhibitors who are presenting at the conference are quality strategic referral partners in the industry and would be exceptional guests to feature on your podcast. After introducing yourself, connect with the exhibitors on LinkedIn. Even better, if you happened to take a picture with them at the conference, consider posting it on your profile. This benefits both parties as it can be considered marketing for their brand and a conversation starter when you network in the future.
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Follow up with attendees on LinkedIn.
Conferences are strategic networking events that allow you to connect with people related to your industry. It’s crucial to utilize your time to connect with as many people as you can. However, you will not have enough time to introduce yourself to everyone. After the event, send a message on LinkedIn to anyone who attended the conference that would be beneficial to include in your network. The conference is a shared connection that can establish trust as you foster the relationship.
