Attending a conference is not only an opportunity to gain some interesting knowledge, but also an opportunity to expand your network and promote your business. Learn these 6 things you need to do before going to a hybrid or in-person conference to get the most out of the event!

1. Review the agenda and select the most interesting speeches

The foundation of any online, hybrid or in-person conference are the talks and speeches given by invited speakers. The larger the conference is, the more speeches there will be, and so they will take place simultaneously on two or more stages. The ability to bilocate is unlikely to be possessed, so a good solution seems to be to carefully study the conference agenda and mark those speeches that seem most interesting to us. This will allow us to avoid a situation in which we find out about a speech too late and regret not being able to see it.

When choosing the most interesting points of the agenda, try to be guided by the intention with which you want to attend the conference. Are you betting on gaining knowledge? Do you want to participate in a discussion with a speaker? Or maybe you want to open the door to networking and gaining valuable contacts? You also have to remember that sometimes it turns out to be a better idea to skip the main stage speech and choose a more intimate talk, after which you have a higher chance of talking to the speaker face-to-face. Of course, we don't have to stick to our schedule and we can confidently decide on watching another speech or participating in another panel discussion, for example, on the advice of a friend. Let's treat our "plan" as a base and adjust it on an ongoing basis according to our needs.

2. Learn something about the speakers and prepare questions for Q&A sessions

Once we know a bit more about which speeches and presentations we would like to attend, it's worth doing a little research and learning something about the speakers. In particular, let's pay attention to their academic career, professional experience and achievements. This information can help us have a better understanding of the speeches and their message.

It will also be a good idea to prepare questions for the Q&A session. Of course, it is known that some of them will come to us only during or after the speech. However, nothing prevents us from trying to find some questions that we could ask without knowing the content of the speech. How about asking something related to your resume or work experience, for example?

3. Schedule meetings with other participants

Attending a conference is not only about speeches and lectures, but also about networking. Find out who else is attending the event and arrange meetings with these people right away. You will find information about attending the event most quickly on your social media, especially on Linkedin, but also on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Try searching users' posts by hashtags related to the event name and see who is contributing under them. Alternatively, you can also make a simple graphic stating that you are attending the conference and share it with your network of contacts. Such posts usually generate quite a response and will make it easier for you to contact attendees and schedule meetings.

4. Take business cards with you

There is nothing worse at an international event than spelling your name (especially if it contains Polish diacritical marks). This is why business cards are a must-have if you want other attendees to be able to easily contact you after the event. Prepare business cards in a paper form or, if you don't like wasting paper, use The Business Card app, which makes it easy to share your contact information with anyone you want.

5. Prepare a short statement about yourself

It doesn't matter if you are going to a conference only as an attendee. You never know when an opportunity will arise to speak in front of a smaller or larger audience, e.g. during a Q&A session, a networking session or a panel discussion. Prepare a few sentences about yourself and, if possible, practice them in front of a mirror. Try to include only the most important information and something that will make your audience remember you.

6. Remember about the breaks

Whether it's an in-person or online event, don't forget that a conference, despite a huge dose of inspiration, also costs us energy and attention. So take care of yourself during breaks, drink water, eat something or get some fresh air.

Checklist:

1. Review the agenda and select the speeches you want to see

2. Learn about the speakers and prepare questions for Q&A sessions

3. See who is attending the conference and set up meetings with interesting contacts

4. Take business cards with you or create a virtual business card

5. Prepare a short speech about yourself and practice delivering it

6. Remember about the breaks