Attending a conference helps to boost your brand, both personally and for your business. It’s an even more valuable exercise if you don’t go alone. Taking some of your employees will ensure that you all benefit from the valuable content at the conference. However, organizing everything can be a bit of a hassle, especially on a budget. You could be at the conference for a couple of days, perhaps having to abandon people back at the office. Being as organized as possible will help you make the most of the conference. It will ensure that it benefits your business. Before you leave, make sure you’ve completed the tasks below.
Register or Buy Tickets
Of course, if you want to attend a conference, you need to make sure you can get in. There could be specific requirements depending on how the conference operates. Some could be by invitation only, but most of the time you can register your name or buy tickets. It’s a good idea to be aware of the conferences that occur every year and keep an eye out for new ones. The sooner you are aware of them, the quicker you can get your tickets. Many conferences have early-bird deals. They enable you to snap up your tickets at a significant discount.
Arrange Your Transport and Accommodation
Once you’ve got your tickets, you’re going to need to make sure you can get there. Your conference might be across the country or perhaps it even requires international travel. If it’s a big deal for your industry, it’s worth traveling far to make contacts and learn new things. You might choose to organize everything yourself or get someone in your company to do it. However, if you would rather have someone else take care of it, using corporate travel agents makes things easier. They can book your transportation and find somewhere for you to stay if you need it. If you’re planning on working while you’re there, you might want to find a hotel that has a business center.
Keep Things Ticking at the Office
Leaving for a conference might mean having to abandon some of your employees back at the office. If you’re going to have to do that, it’s essential to make sure they can continue without you. Of course, you’ve probably let your staff get on with their work before. However, when the office is a few people short, things can be different. Is someone going to have to take over replying to emails from clients? Are there tasks that can wait until everyone is back from the conference? Or will you have to delegate work to those left at the office? You might also want to make plans to keep in touch while you’re at the conference. There might be an emergency only you can deal with.
Make a Conference Plan
When you have a schedule or program for the conference, you can start making a plan for your time there. You need to make the most of your time, so deciding how you’re going to spend it before you get there is a good idea. Otherwise, you risk wandering aimlessly and picking events to attend at random. You should choose the talks and workshops that you feel are most relevant to your company. Remember that there are a few of you going, so you don’t all need to go to the same things. Spread out and attend the events that will help you build your individual skills. You can meet up later and share what you’ve discovered.
Prepare for Networking
As well as planning the events you’re going to attend, get ready to network during your free time too. Every moment at the conference is a chance to make contacts, even when you’re supposedly joining in with casual social activities. Make sure you’re prepared to swap details with people and promote your brand before you go. You might want to take business cards or promotional materials. Try to leave some free time for networking and plan to attend social events.
Share Your Experience
Going to a conference is a great way to promote your brand within your industry. Plan to use your social media channels, your website, and other tools to share your experience. Discuss the ideas that resonate with you when you attend talks through social media and your blog. Use the conference hashtag on Twitter and Instagram to share thoughts and photos.
Be prepared if you want to make the most of a conference. Plan what you need to before you go so that you can put it into action when you arrive.
This article was provided by ellie jo