{"id":9869,"date":"2014-05-23T05:00:40","date_gmt":"2014-05-23T12:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/?p=9869"},"modified":"2020-12-24T02:35:23","modified_gmt":"2020-12-24T10:35:23","slug":"conference-pro-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/conference-pro-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Conference Pro Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"

Conferences have become a booming business. Every year 1.8 million trade shows, conventions, expos, and other related meetings take place in the U.S. alone.\u00a0 A recent study observed the economic significance of meetings to the U.S. economy and the figures are staggering: 1.7 million jobs, $262 billion in spending, $60 billion in contribution to GDP, $60 billion in labor revenue, $14.3 billion in federal tax revenue, and $11.3 billion on state and local tax revenue.<\/p>\n

\"The
Yardi’s opening session\u00a0 at #YASC in Fall 2013.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As we welcome our guests to the Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference<\/a>, beginning next week in Washington, D.C. it’s worth asking: As an attendee, are you getting the most out of the conference experience?
\n<\/i><\/p>\n

Before booking, make sure that you know why you\u2019re attending and think strategically about how you\u2019ll maximize the experience. The most common reasons are networking<\/i>, finding leads<\/i>, learning<\/i>, and building your brand<\/i>.<\/p>\n

The next thing to be considered is the administrative part. The sooner you book, the less you pay for plane tickets and hotel room, and if you start really early, chances are that you will find accommodation at the event hotel or within walking distance, thus avoiding hidden travel costs and inconveniences. You might even want to get there a day early, annulling jet lag and giving you time to explore.<\/p>\n

Before you leave for the trip, join the event\u2019s social network and\/or email list. Stock up on business cards and plan how to organize the ones you will collect. Know what season to expect and dress and pack accordingly. Comfortable shoes are a must, as are the portable battery packs for your mobile phone and chargers for all your devices. A personal Wi-Fi hotspot is priceless in a location where the devices outnumber the attendees. Make sure you stay hydrated, watch what you eat (having some healthy snacks in your bag can be a mood-savior), and during happy hour, remember to drink plenty of water.<\/p>\n

If you love technology as much as I do, you know that it\u2019s not perfect. Smart event planners will provide an easy schedule guide to every speaker and event at the conference, but probably still in a print format. Focus on one note taking solution \u2013 laptop, tablet, notebook \u2013 and decide if you have enough battery power to take photos (they are unmatchable assets for social media and blogs).<\/p>\n

\u2018Early\u2019 is an important time in business and it applies at conferences also. Showing up early means access to good seats and leaves time to mingle, meet attendees and set up in-person meetings. Diversity is key \u2013 plan on meeting a certain number of new people each day, if possible with different backgrounds and experiences. Put your name tag somewhere \u2013 if possible, avoid hanging it around your neck; instead, put it high on your chest and next to the shoulder of the arm you shake hands with \u2013 this way it\u2019s directly in the line of sight of the people you greet.<\/p>\n

Stick to your schedule, but don\u2019t leave out the \u201cfun\u201d events like meet-ups and happy hours \u2013 this is where the real relationships form, when the managers unwind and show their relaxed faces to the crowd. Rather than spending your evenings at the hotel, organize a dinner and invite the people you wish to know. Networking requires some sharp strategic abilities; focus on your business\u2019 objectives: recruiting, discovering and collecting competitive intelligence, and prospecting for new clients.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re transmitting social media updates from the conference, try to use the events and people to come up with curated and useful content. Use pictures and quotes and post them throughout the day to attract those who couldn\u2019t attend, make lists with the most memorable speakers, lessons, and tools you\u2019ve come across; use the event #hashtag to increase visibility.<\/p>\n

Because you are the lucky one who got to represent your team at the conference, share in a clear manner the riches you\u2019ve learned while away. Ask them beforehand what their center of interest at the event is and focus on bringing back as many answers as possible. Look for materials that suit their needs and consider holding a presentation once you return from the conference.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Conferences have become a booming business. Every year 1.8 million trade shows, conventions, expos, and other related meetings take place in the U.S. alone.\u00a0 A recent study observed the economic significance of meetings to the U.S. economy and the figures are staggering: 1.7 million jobs, $262 billion in spending, $60 billion in contribution to GDP, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":237,"featured_media":8452,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_s2mail":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[727,36,636,281],"class_list":["post-9869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-business-travel","tag-conference","tag-networking","tag-professional-development"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nYardi Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Conferences have become a booming business. 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