There is much more to attending a networking event than just showing up. Make the time and money you spend participating in live events worthwhile by following this Live Event Attendee Checklist:
Research The Event – As we mentioned before, choosing the right event for you is of utmost importance. Research the events you are interested in and choose those which will be of most benefit to you. Learn who the speakers will be, who else is planning to attend, where the venue is, etc. The more you know, the better prepared you will be.
Buy Your Ticket Early – You can usually get the best prices when you purchase your tickets early. This will also help you stay committed to making it to the event. When you’ve already made an investment, you will be more likely to follow through with your plans to attend.
Plan For Additional Expenses – You’ll want to have some extra spending money with you, especially if you will be traveling to attend the live event. Save up for your trip and have the funds available to you in case something unexpected happens.
Have A Plan – What is your main objective for attending the live event? Will you be feeling out potential JVs for a future product launch? Just trying to get your name out there? Looking to make new contacts in the internet marketing world in general? Know what you want to accomplish by being at an event and create a game plan to do so.
Arrive Early &/Or Stay Late – A lot of socialization happens before and after the main event. If at all possible, plan to get there early or stay an extra day in order to take advantage of those times when people will be more open to networking.
Take Lots Of Notes – The amount of information that you will be exposed to at a live event will probably be overwhelming. Make sure you take notes or even purchase recorded copies of the presentations so you can go over them again at your own pace.
Plan On Hanging Out At The Bar – Even if you aren’t a drinker, the bar is where a lot of socialization takes place. There may even be after parties to attend. Attend them! Have fun and make new friends. Live events are not only for gaining more knowledge, but also getting to know people in the industry on a more personal level.
Make It A Point To Meet New People – Ideally, you should try to meet at least five new people at every event you go to, more if you can. In the internet marketing industry, the more people you know, the better! You don’t have to focus only on the veteran marketers, either. Get to know some of the newcomers to the industry as well! Today’s newbie could be tomorrow’s Guru!
Follow Up With Your New Contacts – Don’t just go home and throw the business cards you collected while at the event in a pile and forget about them. Look those people up on social media and follow them. Interact with them online. Shoot them an email once in a while. You don’t have to be obnoxious or annoying, but simply start building a relationship. This way, you will stay fresh in your new friend’s mind and should you ever reach out to them for a business reason, you won’t be coming to them as a stranger.
Start Planning For The Next Event – When all is said and done, remember that the internet marketing industry is constantly changing. People come and go, new strategies are discovered, what is working today will probably not work forever. You will want to continue to reap the knowledge that is available to you by attending live events regularly.
Affiliates: Have you requested to receive news of the hottest selling products in the marketplace each day? If not, what are you waiting for?
Click here to subscribe now!
