How Small Businesses Should Prepare for Association Events

Posted 10 September 2014 12:00 AM by Jennifer Andrasik

While the first step in helping your business grow may be signing up for an association, the second is attending a conference or expo.

Associations usually host annual trade shows, conferences or expos to bring massive amounts of industry professionals in one room for new education, networking and sharing trends in the industry. But how can you ensure that you're making the most of the event?

Joan Haller, PLANET's director of education and events, offers up a few tips to small businesses to make sure they maximize their attendance.

Create your game plan ahead of time. Prior to the conference, read up on all the sessions and opportunities and create a personal schedule for yourself. Then you'll know exactly where you want to be, at what times, to catch the sessions you are most interested in.

Make sure your conference education aligns with your business goals. It helps to focus on one area of concentration at a conference. Consider what your No. 1 business problem or interest is, and then choose the education session that best addresses it. If growing your business is the No. 1 goal, then choose sessions about business development, finance, and marketing. If recruiting and building a strong workforce is your priority, then choose the sessions that relate to that topic. This way, you really gather a lot of knowledge in one specific area. Have other members of your company focus on other topics, and then share the knowledge after the conference.

• Make time for personal meetings and dinners with colleagues. Make sure there is time in your schedule to have coffee, lunch or dinner with other attendees. Either schedule appointments ahead of time or make them during the conference. Conferences are a great opportunity to grab 20 minutes with someone with whom you have always wanted to connect. The face-to-face time is important in building relationships.

Have a networking goal. Determine your own goals in terms of meeting new people. Perhaps you are recruiting, or you are looking for subcontractors or mentors. Determine the types of people you would like to meet that would help support your business goals, and make it a priority to connect with those people. Set a goal of one, five, or 10 new personal contacts.

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