RESOURCE CENTER

Planning Your Time: Pre-Networking before Attending Conferences

By Runa Magnusdottir, Connected-women.com

Are you planning to attend a big national or international conference? Need focus? Use these tips to stay focused, and organize your valuable time to the fullest.

Before attending a conference or networking event:

1. Clarify your goals. Draft a mini-communications plan. What are your objectives for attending this conference? Who is your target market? Where do you need new connections? What result would you like to have after the event? Are you going for an educational refresher or to meet other women and do business? Is there a specific type of business partner you are looking for, or someone from a specific geographic region? How are you going to find out if women like this are attending, or how you will find them?

2. Look at the conference agenda. What receptions and seminars will be important to attend? Who will attend in various receptions and seminars? Your audience? Or maybe the group where your important missing link might be visiting? When will you have some time available to set up meetings in advance, or set up some individual time with people you meet? Have the schedule on your PDA so it is easy to coordinate and you don’t miss opportunities.

3. Does the organization have a social networking forum set up so you can communicate in advance? If not, suggest they set one up on a site like Connected-women.com. Be proactive in making this happen because the benefits are boundless!

4. What impression do you want to leave others with? Do you need more business cards or another type of handout or give-away? Write down you comments on the business cards you receive for future reference. Be curious; ask questions to get a better picture of the person you are connecting with.

5. Mark time on your calendar NOW to follow-up on contacts made at the conference. It can be overwhelming when we return to the office and the demands of employees and clients that haven’t been met while we were gone. Don’t miss out on opportunities by not following up.

6. Keep track of your contacts and carry on being visual by setting up or participating in a post-networking forum on Connected-Women.com. This is a great way to utilize the contacts you made at the conference.

Runa Magnusdottir, ACC Executive Coach from ICF, is an entrepreneur from Reykjavik, Iceland with 20 years of experience in international business as an importer and distributor.  Runa is the founder and CEO of Connected-Women.com a global social search and networking site for professional women used by organizations of women entrepreneurs worldwide.