HMBT #122: Preparing for Conferences

Attending conferences can be informative and educational. Today, I am going to talk about how I prepare for a conference.

Here are the things that I do to prepare for a conference.

  1. Research the talks that you want to attend. Don’t stress yourself out by needing to make last minute decisions for those breakout sessions. Most conferences offer apps that you can use to plan your day and also create a schedule. Otherwise use your smartphone or write them down.
  2. Post to your social media networks to see if there is anyone else going that you know and try to meet up with them.
  3. Reach out to speakers and try to meet and connect with them. Maybe you can even get a selfie!
  4. Find out where the networking party will be so that you are ready.
  5. Take good notes so that you can go back and review later on. Make sure to record an links or social media profiles that the speakers share.
  6. Find good restaurants near the conference location to pick good places and know if they only take reservations
  7. When you get back, make a video or write a blog post about what you learned about the conference.

Here is a list of items that I bring to a conference

  1. Backback- to hold all my stuff
  2. Laptop- so I can get to what I need if something comes up
  3. iPad mini- for taking notes, and saving my iPhone battery
  4. iPhone X with rig and mic- so that I can take videos and pictures
  5. External battery- to charge my gadgets
  6. Cords- for connecting things
  7. Business cards- to facilitate networking
  8. Mints- to keep my breath fresh
  9. Pens- multiple pens for writing stuff down

That covers what I do to prepare for a conference. If you are looking for an email service provider, use code HMBT for a $30 account credit with iContact. While I am speaking today, I am offering my book, The ABCs of the Customer Journey: A Beginner’s Guide to Automation, Branding, and Customer Service, free on Amazon.

[youtube] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4-NhL5sASA[/youtube]

 

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Author

  • Hank Hoffmeier

    Hank is an author, speaker, podcast host and Sr. Manager of Marketing Operations at Kickbox, a Ziff Davis company. With a passion for all things digital and social, combined with more than 25 years of experience in sales and marketing, he has been dubbed the Digital Marketing Infotainer because he makes marketing fun and successful. 

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