How to make the most of an event 🎟️

First things first: a big THANK YOU to everyone who joined my virtual keynote, “How to Turn your Network into your Most Valuable Asset.” For those who couldn’t attend, the recording should be available soon and I’ll share it with you.

Now, let’s pick up where we left off.

Last time I dropped into your inbox, it was to teach you how to map your network. One of the outcomes of that exercise is to reveal where you should spend your time networking; as in, what events are worth your while based on your business goals.

Now that you’ve identified which events make sense for you to attend, let’s talk about how to make sure you get the most value from that spend of your time and resources.

1) Consider hosting a small gathering on your own, that’s aligned with the event.

Think about making a dinner reservation at a restaurant near the event for a table for six or eight people. If you have the budget, pick up the tab. If you don't, just tell people you see or meet at the event, “Hey, I'm inviting a few people attending the event to join me for dinner/drinks afterwards. Can I count you in for the reservation?” or “Hey, I’m inviting people I’ve met during the event to join me for dinner, you’re welcome to bring a guest.” (For a sample invite script, check out this past newsletter.)

2) Use the event as a reason to reach out before you even arrive.

If the event is open to a wide audience, you can leverage your own attendance as a reason to reach out to someone you’d like to kindle (or rekindle) a connection with.

I recommend sending an email to people that you think would be interested in the event. It could read something like:

Worst case scenario, the person replies, “Hey, sorry, I can't make it.” But they'll be appreciative you thought of them, and invited them — not just to the event, but to your dinner.

Even when somebody can't go, extending an invitation can still build reciprocity. Who knows, they may reply, “I can’t make it this time, but let’s get something else on the calendar.”

3) Pay attention, and pay tribute to the organizers and speakers

Regardless of the type of event you’re attending, research who the organizers are. That way, if you see them, you’re well positioned to say something friendly, like complimenting them on the event. If an IRL interaction isn’t an option or feels too bold, at minimum, you can follow up with the organizers afterwards with a direct message on LinkedIn. A simple “thank you for coordinating everything, I had a great time” is always a nice touch.

In addition to researching the event hosts, research any speakers too. If the event is more akin to a conference than a single panel, map out your time based on the speakers and topics you actually want to learn from. Yes, I am saying to actually pay attention to the content at events. It’s tempting to go just to “meet people,” but being fully present (and taking notes) gives you instant conversation fuel—whether you end up meeting the speaker or someone on their team, or you’re simply striking up conversation with other attendees afterwards.

At minimum, it’ll help you craft a thoughtful LinkedIn message or email to speakers afterwards:

The speaker may even respond and give you an opening to talk more about your work because you've tied your work in with theirs. But they might not, and that’s ok. Regardless, it's a benefit for you to connect with that person and leave a positive impression, because you never know if you'll cross their paths in the future. What’s most important is taking strategic action towards relationship building with people that you admire and want to engage with.

4) Don’t just post that you attended. Broadcast what you learned.

An easy way to squeeze a little more juice out of an event is to post about it on social afterwards. What I always see people do is say something to the effect of “I had the honor of attending this event” with a photo. Sure, that shows that you were in attendance, but it doesn't provide any value for those who weren’t. 

Your post-event broadcast must provide value to anybody scrolling LinkedIn, not just those who are interested in the topic. Here’s an example of my approach: it’s not just about me having attended, it’s about what I learned in doing so.

5) Measuring success as an attendee (or organizer)

The best networked professionals don’t rely on “did I have a nice time?” to decide whether an event was worth it. They determine ROI by relationship outcomes.

Most people track event ROI by: “How many new people did I meet?” or “Did I get leads?”

We go much deeper with our clients and private executive events:

• Pre-event pipeline

• In-room outcomes

• Post-event conversion to conversations

• Attribution

• Efficiency

• Alignment score

Want to better understand what each of these means—or, better yet, how we can grow and track them for your events? Reply back to me with the types of executive events you’re looking to attend, host, or the relationships your company needs to reach its business goals.

………………

To intentional connection,

Nicole

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