How to get the most out of the conference

There are two big conferences waiting for us in the near future: IGCONF 2018 in Saint Petersburg on the 3rd of November, and the main international conference of the year, Affiliate World Asia in Bangkok on the 5-7th of December.

It’s a great opportunity for everyone to acquire new knowledge, experience, and to find opportunities for growth. How to get the most out of this conference and avoid screwing up? We’re sharing our experience in this article.

In the last few years, we’ve been to dozens of various conferences. At first everything was crazy and chaotic, but now we have a list of recommendations based on our experiences. We share it with our staff members, and we’ll gladly share it with you. Maybe it’ll come in handy.

1. Don’t drink in the morning. Conferences are work, above all. Yeah, it’s nicer to work with a bottle of beer in your hand, but nicer doesn’t mean more efficient.

2. Don’t get too drunk in the evening either, even at the after party. An after party is exactly where the closest and most useful relationships are forged, and it’s best to remember them! Remember  — three beers is enough for everyone. Anything more than that is risky.

3. To remember everything properly, it’s best to write it down and have a system in place. Here’s what we do  — we print a bunch of A4 paper sheets, and stock up on paper clips. The sheet should consist of the following information: what you talked about, what their company does, how is it useful, what’s the next step? Summarize everything, attach their business card to the sheet with a paperclip, and that’s it — all the information is saved, everything is coherent. Before we started using this system, we used to bring hundreds of business cards back from each conference, and it was impossible to decipher which of them were actually useful.

4. Business cards with free space for a few notes are very practical, you can always add some quick information about yourself or your company.

5. If some woman is giving you a lot of attention (especially in Asia), keep in mind that she was probably paid to do that. Don’t flatter yourself too much, and be safe.

6. Note down in advance what reports you’re interested in hearing, as conferences are often structured in a way that means there are several reports happening at the same time.

7. Make a list of people and companies you’d like to talk to the most. It’s logical to start with those meetings where you already know the person. The work goes smooth if someone knows you personally. Do that, and then feel free to network randomly. And remember that at conferences time flies by very fast, so use it wisely.


8. Don’t be afraid to approach someone. Everyone goes to conferences to socialize with people. The possibility of someone refusing to talk to you is close to zero. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Remember: it doesn’t cost you anything to just ask, but a good question can bring you a lot of money.

9. Although do keep in mind that inserting yourself in a conversation someone is already having is bad form. Wait until the person you wanted to talk to is free.

10. Don’t go too hard on hand-outs, only take what you really need. You need a notebook — great, but are you sure you need that frisbee plate with a logo? What about that bottle opener? Be careful to not make the impression of someone who’ll take anything if it’s free. If you take something from the stand, make sure to talk to people who represent the company, at least make some small talk, otherwise it’s very impolite.

11. If you’re at a conference as a company representative, remember that your behaviour reflects on the company, not just you. As they say — the first impression can be only made once.

We wish you useful networking and high profits! If you like the material — subscribe to Facebook, we shed a light on the market of affiliate marketing and share cases.

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