How to prepare for a conference to win
How to stand out and maximize your ROI
Hi friends - Happy Sunday! It’s me again 🤗 your friendly go-to-market guru.
Last week, we discussed how to determine which conferences to attend. This week, we’ll discuss how to prepare before you go!
Remember, we gotta hit your 5x ROI, so we gotta prep accordingly!
Ps - If you’re new here, you can access all of the historical content on demand right there 👇️
Ok, legooooo.
How to prepare for a conference to win
Schedule in-person meetings in advance
Do not show up and “wing it”. Before the conference, secure as many in-person meetings as you can.
Nowadays, many conferences offer some sort of networking app that attendees can download and use to connect with each other. If the conference has that, definitely use it.
Many conferences also offer the opportunity to host or join a more intimate round-table discussion. If that’s an option, leverage it 100%. Those smaller group discussions are always high-value.
If there is no app, consider contacting the event producer to request a copy of the attendees for the current or prior year. Often, they will give you a list with the attendees' titles and companies (it will often exclude their names and emails for GDPR, etc. reasons), but as long as you have the titles and companies, you can enrich that data to build a list for curated outreach.
Also, take the time to review the agenda, including the speakers and moderators. That information is almost always public. Send a thoughtful note to the speakers and moderators you want to meet with to request time 1-1.
I recommend you conduct all of your pre-conference outreach on LinkedIn. That way, even if people do not respond, they will be more likely to recognize your face during the event.
Order some peacock swag
Stand the f*ck out.
If it’s a more casual event, consider rocking a hat or shirt with your company info on it or, better yet, something even more unique - custom-branded sneakers. 👀
When I wear these, it always starts conversations. Make it easy for people to approach you. Give them something to talk about. 😉
If it’s a more buttoned-up event, you can still stand out with a fun tie, a bow tie, a cool piece of jewelry, or a unique blazer (like my friend Kat). Get creative.
Prepare a lead capture plan for follow-up
Your post-event follow-up (or follow-through) is EVERYTHING.
Two things I’d recommend to set yourself up for success -
Download your LinkedIn profile QR code and set it as your phone background or wallpaper. Easy peasy access to ‘connect’ instantly.
Create a landing page for the event and a QR code for people to scan to visit that page. Save this to your photos or print it out on some custom business cards or card stock for easy access.
On the page, give them two options -
Submit their contact info (a simple email capture)
Schedule a meeting with you (a meeting booking page)
So to recap -
Pre-set meetings + cool swag + prepared AF lead capture =
You got this. See ya next week!
With love and gratitude -
If you want to learn more about working with me directly…
For B2B startups I serve as a Fractional GTM executive or advisor. Learn more about-
When you’re ready, let’s connect to discuss your specific growth goals and challenges.
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