10 Learnings as a Solo Conference Attendee

[This has been written from the perspective of a solo business owner who is out to network, grow her business, and learn along the way.]

Image by Shubhangi Mittal

I was an attendee at the recently concluded INNOVATEwest 2024 conference in Vancouver.

It was my first in-person conference attendance in 5 years. I have been attending virtual webinars and events over the last 2 years. It was one of the few good events on the Western coast of Canada. Most good marketing events happen in Toronto or the US. This one was local for me. This would also be the first time that I would be meeting representatives from the local companies within AI, tech, and startup domains in person. What a great opportunity to learn about them and their B2B marketing efforts.

There was some nervousness initially on day 1. I attended more talks and walked around the expo floor a couple of times. Talking to exhibitors on the expo floor required me to gather courage every time.

On day 2, I spent more time on the expo floor and talking to fellow attendees.

Here’s what I learned:

Most people are friendly and would love to engage in a conversation. You will meet a few cold souls. Dismissive. Forget about them. Do not let them stop you from networking, introducing yourself, and asking for business opportunities. Remember, you are also there for business. Click pictures of yourself with people and booths where you interacted. It’s fun to look back at them later on. But, it is also great content to share and spreads good cheer. Make notes where you can. You will forget the important stuff that was discussed. Connect over LinkedIn then and there. Business cards is great. But, LinkedIn ensures that you don’t lose the connection. Create a meeting invite or reminder to send a note to a prospect in your work calendar. Then and there. Carry some extra food and snacks for yourself. I found myself hungry for a late morning and afternoon snack. And I didn’t want to step out of the event hall to grab some food. Carry a warm jacket. Conference halls can get chilly even if the weather outside is mellow. Send thank you notes and add a note to speakers and panelists whom you connect with after the event. This creates a connection and everyone likes to be appreciated. Don’t be hard on yourself. You may have to choose one session over many others because of “parallel tracks”. It’s ok. Choose the one you want to attend and enjoy.

What would you add to this?

Thank you for reading. I am Shubhangi, founder of Blackboard-Digital.com. I work with executives, founders, and businesses to get seen and heard on LinkedIn. Connect with me on LinkedIn. Subscribe to my weekly ‘no-overwhelm’ newsletter, AI in Marketing.