In-person events were decimated in 2020 due to COVID-19. However, face-to-face conferences will always matter, and here is how you make the most of it.
One of the most beneficial things you can do for your job is to attend conferences. You’ll learn about industry trends, pick up some new skills, and meet dozens of new acquaintances.
However, the sheer number of speakers, sessions, connections, and interactions may be exhausting.
What else should you be thinking about when you have an event coming up? Aside from carrying a boatload of business cards and collecting them from others, what else should you be thinking about?
Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of your next conference, from planning beforehand to having a good time while you’re there.
Tips for making the most of these opportunities to meet face-to-face.
Pre-Conference: Plan Ahead
- Define what you expect to get out of the conference topics
- Look over the schedule ahead of time so you can map out your experience, especially if you have a limited amount of time
- Are there topic sessions that are “a must” versus “optional”? It is always good to have a back-up plan
- Make a specific plan for each session that interests you
- Schedule face to face meetings with those contacts that can help advance your conference goals or just to catch up with old colleagues
- A 10-minute hallway or coffee break conversation can work wonders!
During the Conference: Network and Learn
- Break free from the pack – If you’re traveling in a group, it is time to step out on your own. When it comes to networking, your biggest excuse is your coworkers and friends. They become a safety net for you to use in new or unfamiliar social settings. So, if you just interact with individuals you know, you are severely restricting your opportunities to meet and engage with new and fascinating people.
- Connect with the speakers
- Ask questions and request assistance and clarification
- Take notes to share with people who are not there but would like to follow along; ensure you note any action items for yourself or your company along the way
- Provide feedback to the leaders of the meeting
- Seek out personal instruction on useful methods, techniques, and or tools
Post-Conference: Act on What You Have Learned
- Follow up with personal calls or emails to your new contacts
- Highlights and outcomes
- What worked, what didn’t work
- Commitments, action items, and dates
- Pay it forward – At the conference, you picked up a lot of fresh knowledge, inspiration, and contacts, and one of the greatest things you can do with them is share them with your coworkers, colleagues, and friends
Ready for your next conference?
Attending conferences have the potential to offer significant value and provide an excellent opportunity to create new connections as well as reconnect with old ones.
Attendance requires a significant amount of time and effort, however, if you approach the event open minded and well organized, the possibilities are endless.
Our Next Event: AtClose | Diamond Sponsors of The NS3-2021
The National Settlement Services Summit (NS3) is the premier annual destination for all professionals involved in the real estate transaction to come together for unrivaled networking and education. The summit garners more than 700 real estate professionals including mortgage lenders, underwriters, technology solution providers and relevant personnel from the real estate industry.
AtClose is the next generation of digital mortgage, title and escrow solutions which enables faster closings and data driven insights for better communication and shorter cycle time for both mortgage lending and title industries.
Our highly configurable web-based solution, backed by 25+ years of technical and industry expertise, enables digital transformation of mortgage lenders, financial institutions as well as title and settlement companies by providing a full scope of digital operations, intelligent document processing solutions, and proprietary technology products.
The AtClose team invites you to stop by tables 3 & 4 outside the Royal Palm Ballroom to discuss the next generation in digital industry solutions.
