Networking Tips for Conference Season

It’s that time of year again… You can almost taste the opportunity in the air.

We’re talking conference season people, and with the largest annual gathering of the hospitality industry right around the corner, it’s a good idea to have a P.L.A.N.

Before you pack, take some time to consider ways you could make your trip easier, and do them. Having the proper gear with you when you travel makes all the difference. If you don’t, you’ll spend energy combating unplanned-for pains in a foreign space, during an already exhausting day.

Think business cards and backpacks. Do you and your team have something to distribute with your name or your company’s brand on it? Do you have a charging bank or power cord? Do you have something easy to carry around the event floor? Even think about comfortable shoes. You’re going to be covering ground, or at least, on your feet all-day.

Feeling lost can create a sense of unease, and self-consciousness, that have no place messing with your conference season game. Prior to your trip, review a map of the city. Specifically, look at the routes between the airport, your hotel, and the event center. If you’ll be using public transportation, this step is still important to understand the best mode and time it will take.

Also, familiarize yourself with the layout of the conference space ahead of time. Would you like to make eye-contact with prospective partners, or your map? Your list of things to scope out ahead of time should include: competition and customer booths, speakers, demos, bathrooms, food/beverages, and exits.

Having an automated “I will be out…” email response takes the pressure off immediately responding to emails, but it doesn’t take away the temptation. Have an alternate ready to handle your accounts, and any issues that might pop up while you’re gone.

It can be difficult letting go of your baby, uh, I mean, business for a couple days, but doing so allows you to focus on the task at hand – to make a lasting impression while absorbing everything possible. It’s no easy task, and if you’re trying to handle daily responsibilities on top of conference goals, you’ll end up doing both poorly.

Talking with people is your bread and butter, so why should you prepare to network? With a total exhibit area of 52,000 sq. feet, 2,000 exhibitors, and 65,000 visitors, the NRA Show is no small potatoes. To better discern where you should apply yourself during the time you have, it’s best to make a strategy.

To build your networking strategy, consider these steps:

• Determine who you are trying to connect with. Look at what your restaurant needs; maybe your customer base is healthy, but you’d like to switch vendors. Don’t shut down any contacts, just prioritize.
• Look up who is attending, and use your priorities list to pick out the businesses you’d like to meet with. 
• Use the map to plot your path ahead of time.
• Always leave them with contact info and grab theirs. Bonus if you can leave them with some swag. Nothing starts a relationship like a little gift with tasteful logo placement. 

This one is for after:

• Call them! Save and remember these connections. You won’t be able to utilize and develop them all at once, but your chances for working out a deal increase when you’ve had a previous interaction. 

Attending a conference is an exhilarating way to spend the workday, and the fun doesn’t stop there. You can attend cocktail hours and other free networking events at night, that is, if you’re up for it. Plan ahead, save your energy for the after-party.