The past couple of weeks, we've been talking about how to get the money to attend those important conferences. Now, let's talk about how to make the most of those conferences. Let's start with preparation before the event.

It's all about planning. You need to know the five W's of your conference before you ever go.

Question Mark and Bryan Person
Mark Williams and Bryan Person
at SXSW 2010

Who


  • Who do you want to meet? Think customers, partners, competitors, mentors, and vendors.
  • Who could you cooperate with?
  • Who could send you customers? Who could you send customers for an affiliate offer?
  • Who have you talked to several times, and you just need to push it over the edge and get something going with them? 
What

  • What do you want to talk to these people about?
  • What project are you working on that is too big for you alone? 
  • What are you wanting to learn? What sessions should you make time for?
When and Where

  • Set meetings up before you go.
  • Are there sessions you don’t want to miss? Invite a friend to meet you at a particular session that relates to a project you’re working on.

 

Why

  • Make an index card of your goals for the event.


A couple of other points 

  • Order some business cards, if you're in a business card kind of industry. I still use a few (about a dozen) at most big conferences.
  • Post something relevant on your blog.
  • Post a recent photo of yourself on your blog or Twitter profile. Yes, you. Just do it.



What before-the-conference tips do you have?

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