I went to my first live internet marketing conference in 2009 and it literally changed my life. Up until that point in time I had spent the past year and a half trying to figure everything out on my own, it wasn't working. That event is called NAMS and is held two times a year in Atlanta. I highly recommend it. Here is a link that describes the event. NAMS Internet Marketing Event – Atlanta, Georgia
I have continued to make live events a consistent part of my business plan each year and through each event the better prepared I am the more I get out of the event.
I have compiled a checklist of things to make sure you have in order to be better prepared for your event and accomplish some predetermined goals to move your business forward and get the most out of the event as possible.
- Business Cards – Even if you don't feel you have a legitimate business, trust me you do, but at the very least create a card with your name, website and social media links on it. You can add your picture if you want to but I would suggest adding a QR Code to the business card. You can create a free QR Code here
- A Mission Plan – When I went to my first event my mission was to meet someone who could help me fine tune my strategy to work with offline businesses. It did not take me long to find someone and I spent the rest of the weekend asking questions and before I knew it I had found myself in a group of people doing offline work. It was a very successful mission and one that propelled my business forward in a very powerful way. This should be one of your missions, to find people who are doing things similar to your business and compare notes and ideas. This is where you really start to get energized and realize you are not the only one on earth going through the things you are going through. The fundamental mission should be to make sure you create new relationships. Set some goals and begin the event with a plan.
- Note Taking – During the first event I attended there was actually a class teaching you how to use the Free Mind Mind mapping software. It changed how I took notes and provided me with a very efficient method of capturing information during live events and webinars. However you take notes make sure you are efficient and have a good organizational plan to keep your notes in order so you can go back and use your notes efficiently to improve your business after the event.
- Twitter & Facebook – Most people have a Facebook account by now, if you don't you need to get one set up. This is one of the ways you will stay in touch with the people you meet at the event. The twitter account is a way you can connect and send out great tweets about what is happening and what you are learning through out the event. This is a great way to connect with other people at the event, while it is happening and create some influence that can put you position to meet more people.
- Social Media Connections - Securing social media connections while you are at the event help you get connected quicker and ensure you don't forget to do it later. Many of the relationships I have developed at live events become deeper through social media and through this social media contact I have realized direct business deals coming from these relationships.
- Power Supply – It is a good idea to take a power strip with you to make sure you have a power source in case power access is limited. If you need to use it then others will too. Another opportunity to meet people
The best thing you can do is to go to a live event, use this survival list to get the most out of it.
Let me know what events you attend and if you have anything to add to the list.