How to Get the Most out of Business Events

Adventures in Businessing: Entrepreneurship, Small Business, and a Healthy Dose of Humor

Show Notes:

• [0:00:58] Intro | Timely Topics
  • Jeremy is REALLY excited about this one.
• [0:02:30] How to Choose a Business Event
  • The Nitty Gritty: Hotel selection, what to eat?
  • Is there a way to predetermine things about the event you wish to attend?
    • You must determine what you’re looking for out of a conference.
      • What are your outcomes?
  • “We live in a magical world…because internet”
    • There’s a workshop, virtual and in-person, for everything you can imagine-- technical and rudimentary.
• [0:09:45] You’ve Picked out Your Event..What Now?
  • How to prepare to get the most out of our event.
    • What are the talks or discussions you must hear?
    • Search the hashtag and note the attendees, then energize conversations with those people.
      • Knowing who is going to be there can work in your favor.
    • Look at the schedule.
      • Have a plan.
    • Consider arriving early.
      • ...and leaving a little early?
    • Treat your business events and travel like full-on PTO.
      • Ensure your team knows you won't be available.
      • The event is the work.
    • The "all-in-one" event can prevent headaches and uncertainty.
      • Preventing choice paralysis.
    • Take the time to unpack and process AT the event.
      • Talk to your team or write about it, thus making it less likely to forget the important details you want or need to remember.
      • Compare notes with those who attended the same or similar presentations.
      • If you go alone, that's a great excuse to make a friend...if you're extroverted. 😉
• [0:21:45] Prepare to be Presented with More than You can Rationally Absorb
  • You'll have to exercise your "keep, process, discard" muscle.
  • No one will know or tell if you don't attend EVERY lecture or discussion.
    • You don't have to waste your time if you know something isn't for you, or if you're simply overloaded.
  • Two hours of good content can justify an entire trip.
• [0:27:05] Closing Comments | Last Round of Advice
  • Seat selection is important.
    • If you're unsure about the talk, sit back and/or to the side, to politely excuse yourself.
  • Business events are worth the effort, and if you pick a bad one, try again.