As event managers, we must love our work; dissatisfaction shows in many ways. That's why it's essential to occasionally put ourselves in the shoes of our event attendees and be an attendee once in a while, not just on the other side: sometimes stressed, but also deeply satisfied and proud when the whole story unfolds and makes its intended impression.
To maximise your time at other people's events, below we offer a list of practical guidelines to help you:
Plan to attend at least one new significant or national event this year that you've never visited before. It could be an opportunity to review your marketing choices and reallocate resources accordingly, critically.
Plan. Spend sufficient time on the event website, social media feeds, and app. See who is active in the community and connect with them in advance. Prioritise the people and organisations you'd like to meet or schedule meetings with during the event.
You can find an empty seat. Even if you attend an event with a colleague, don't sit next to them! If you take an empty seat, new collaborators may end up sitting near you.
Follow up. Connect with the people you meet. Be sure to add them to your social networks and engage with them.
Develop new supplier relationships. Recent research shows that more than 60 per cent of organisers want to find new suppliers to work with, but fewer than 33 per cent actually do. Spend time with new contacts, take a calculated risk, and give new business opportunities a chance. One-on-one meetings are one of the most time-efficient and effective ways to find new partners.
Be present. Indeed, use your technology for photos, note-taking, and networking. However, put it away if it detracts from your experience of the content.
Get inspired. Join a discussion, lecture, or workshop that pulls you out of your comfort zone and challenges you to think or act differently. Find the speaker or mentor you connected with and reach out to them after their presentation. Because—why not?