Getting the most out of attending Performance Marketing Insights, or any conference is an art. You’re there to meet industry friends, build new ones and seek new leads for your business. It’s also a crazy, shattering, albeit fun couple of days.
Whether you class yourself as a veteran or conference newbie, here are some insider tips to get the most from the show both personally and professionally.
1. Preparation
Don’t ever, ever miss this stage. I guarantee you won’t have time at the show to stop and pause with all the buzz. Many conferences including PMI are investing heavily in an event app where you can find all of the information at your fingertips.
Through this you can set your own personal agenda and import into your mobile or tablet calendar, send messages to fellow delegates, sponsors and exhibitors to arrange meetings and engage with the show via messaging, photos and videos.
You’ll also need to sign yourself up to key event features, in our case the included boot camps and speed networking. These will hit capacity so get your name down early. Delegates who get the most out of conferences engage with fellow delegates well before conference week, arranging meetings, booking meeting rooms, dinners and securing VIP tables at parties!
2. Engage
Get involved and you’ll find it incredibly rewarding. At Performance Marketing insights attendees are top of their game. The brands we have registered this year are nothing short of outstanding. Talk, learn and network. We try to make networking easy with the Boot Camps acting as meeting points for those interested in particular topics, speed networking, the pre-event drinks reception at the Piano Works and, of course, the expo hall drinks reception prior to our party at the Ministry of Sound. Engage in the wider conversation too. Use the event hashtag for tweets, photos and videos, it’s #PMILDN – you could top our leaderboard for your chance to win fantastic prizes!
3. It’s a Marathon, not a Sprint
If you are going to immerse yourself in the full event experience including the party at the Ministry of Sound, you’ll need to take care of yourself. We’ll feed you well each day with pastries and a two-course hot lunch, refreshments, fruit and cakes throughout the day. I also hear we’ll have an array of refreshments from exhibitors including bacon butties, an Espresso Bar, fruit smoothies, a cocktail bar (and bloody marys for the morning after) and copious amounts of fizz. There are also some nifty giveaways including a ‘Back to The Future’ style hoverboard (tip: check out the Targeted Offers section of the app). Finally, ensure you stay hydrated, wear sensible shoes, stay energised and bank some sleep before the show.
4. Stay organised & follow up - Conferences can be an overload of information, LinkedIn requests, twitter followers and prospects. Keep business cards safe, write summaries of conversations and be sure to follow them up when you’re back in the office. After all, this is when the strategies you’ve discovered and lead start to convert. Remember that it won’t be instant - you should treat leads generated at conferences as long-term prospects, which tend to close many months down the line.
5. Go with the flow & don’t attempt to multi-task!
This is our 17th conference and they have all been different. Go with the flow, enjoy the buzz and keep an open mind as to what may occur! Finally, I often find spending an hour whilst at the show each day dealing with email or business, as usual activities helps clear the mind so you can fully concentrate on the show. Those other emails can wait until Monday!
For more information about PMI: London, taking place between October 29 - 30, 2015, check out the website or follow us on twitter.