It’s important for professionals to understand how to network at conferences. For some, making new connections is the secret sauce of an event, making your investment worthwhile.
What’s the best way to approach this process? Conference networking isn’t something that’s taught in school. You need to figure out what works for you and then execute a plan.
Recently, I surveyed my LinkedIn connections on how they like to network at conferences. Let’s break down their strategies in order of popularity.
I Keep It Random, No Plan: 48%
In a busy world, this is understandable. Who has time to plan? And some of the best connections may come from random or unplanned moments.
The challenge is that results may vary. To use baseball as an analogy, you might hit a home run. Or you could strike out.
Often, this option works best for those who are not in search of a specific outcome.
Organized Networking Events: 23%
Many like these gatherings as they can be like speed dating. You can meet a lot of people in a short amount of time.
A challenge can be making sure you’re introducing yourself to new people and not just those who you know.
It’s also good to consider if you’re just looking for new connections or if you’re looking for a solution to a specific problem.
Coffee and Meal Breaks: 23%
These opportunities don’t require you to budget additional time for conference networking. You’re already there.
In the case of a coffee break, you have a short amount of time to make connections. For some, that may not be a bad thing, as you won’t find yourself in a never ending conversation.
If things are going well, you want to have business cards or some other way of staying in touch with the other person. At a big conference, you may see someone once and never again.
Ahead of Time With Social Media: 6%
This option for how to network at conferences may feel like homework. But the preparation could come with a big payoff.
Many events give people a list of fellow attendees or they have a social media page where people can introduce themselves. Those can be great starting points for setting up a short meeting at an event.
This works very well if there are specific people you want to meet. You can connect with them ahead of time and not leave running into them to chance. Consider if there are opportunities to meet in the hours before the conference opens or get together for something like breakfast or coffee.
This strategy can be very useful if you’re attending an event for the first time, on your own, and don’t know anyone. A little research can make how you network at conference at lot easier.
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