5 Tips for Maximizing Your Conference Experience Next Week at #MobilizeWomen
By: Jennifer Robinson
1) Connect now.
What are you waiting for? Go to ellevatenetwork.com and see who is attending the conference. Reach out and connect with some of the women via email, LinkedIn, or both. Even if you only select 3–5 women to reach out to, that will be a benefit to you next week. You will already be on the radar of those you connect with now, and will be making an effort to seek each other out and meet in-person that day.
Not attending in-person, but signed up for the livestream? You can still view those attending online and reach out.
2) Hold a local event.
Who said viewing parties are just for royal weddings?
Is there a group of local Ellevate women in your region signed up for the livestream? Why not hold a viewing party next Thursday, where you can all get together? You can make it a fun event and a better networking experience. Bonus points if during your lunch break you sit and get to know someone you don’t already know well within your local chapter.
3) Skip a session.
There are so many great speakers coming next week, and I know you don’t want to miss a minute. But often the real networking magic can happen outside the room. Set aside some time during the day to simply hang out in the reception area and lounge, or another location where attendees are gathering to get coffee. Make a point of meeting a few people. This is a particularly good tip for introverts. It can be difficult to wait for lunch or a big reception at the end of the day with a roomful of people to approach. Take the smaller opportunities during the day to make connections on your own terms.
[Related: Five Networking Tips for Introverts Moving to a New Industry]
4) Put your own spin on the agenda.
Are you coming to NYC the night before the conference? Staying the night afterwards? These are both opportunities to network. Arrange a small reception or dinner prior to or after the conference and curate a group of women to get to know each other better. It will help all of you to build meaningful connections, and will also help you to be seen as a connector and resource for others.
5) Use social media.
Use the Ellevate and conference hashtags #MobilizeWomen #Ellevate #EllevateNetwork, not only to start posting now, but to start to search for others you can engage with and follow.
[Related: 4 Ways to Build Your Brand via Blogging]
Bonus tip!
Use LinkedIn nearby when you arrive at the conference. This way, you’ll be able to view everyone attending on LinkedIn and connect with them on your smartphone.
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Jennifer Lynn Robinson, Esquire is the CEO of Purposeful Networking. She conducts keynotes, workshops, and seminars assisting companies, non-profits, universities, and conferences to help ensure their networking is working for them. Jennifer is also the President of FemCity Philadelphia, a women’s business networking organization with 1900+ women. Jennifer has been featured in local and national media including Forbes, The Huffington Post, Chicago Tribune, and Philadelphia Magazine. You can connect with her at @AreYouNetworked on Twitter or Instagram, or at purposefulnetworking.com.
Originally published at www.ellevatenetwork.com.
