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Essentials For Maximizing Any Conference

Conferences are of great value. You meet people in your area of practice, become aware of the thought leaders in your specialty, connect with current clients and meet potential clients.

By Jason Levin  
on

Since law school, your career services offices have been encouraging you to attend conferences.  Sigh! Why can’t the employment offers just come to ME!  Now that you are an emerging associate or a newly minted counsel/partner, your firm’s professional/business development and practice administrators are singing that same tune.  Drum roll, please! MUST ATTEND CONFERENCES!  Yes, conferences are of great value. You meet people in your area of practice, become aware of the thought leaders in your specialty, connect with current clients and meet potential clients.

In conference preparation it is easy to be caught up in other priorities. You are already being pulled in so many different directions: clients to bill, articles to write, deadlines to meet. With so much going on, it is amazing how conference attendance just sneaks up on you.  Here are some actionable tips in to help you get ready now for that next conference:

  • Ditch the Pitch – At a conference, there will be plenty of people dying to unload their elevator on you. Don’t be one of them.  Recognize that connecting with people does not need to be a robotic experience.  You don’t need to be AMAZING, just be a human being.  Which leads to my second point.
  • Interview Like a Talk Show Host – Instead of the elevator pitch, lead with questions. It can be simple starters as “How are you?”, “What brings you here?” or “What did you think of lunch?” to more industry-specific questions like “What did you think of the speaker?” or “What type of work do you do?”.  Going in with questions first, allows you to connect and find commonality with people.
  • Use Social Media to Celebrate Your Colleagues – Have a colleague on a panel or as a speaker? Of course, check in with your marketing and business development team.  But why not take a photo of them in action and post it on social media?
  • Align your goals with the attendee list – It is likely you will get the attendee list in advance. Block the 30 minutes it will take to review the file and mark the people you want to speak with.
  • Don’t Wait to Follow-up, Follow-up, Follow-up – The least joyful and yet the most important part of a conference appearance. Grab a notebook and the business cards you collected.  Write down all your next steps and get those emails out in 24 hours following the end of conference.  I know you are tired and you need a moment alone.  Complete this step, and then you can relax, knowing you have successfully maximized the conference.

Remember that conference attendance does not need to feel like a trip to the dentist.  With a little preparation and intent, you can actually get a lot done.  Happy Hunting!

Jason Levin founded Ready, Set, Launch, LLC®, www.readysetlaunch.net, after a career in brand management at Unilever, consulting at Accenture and employer branding sales at Vault.com.  Business Development and outplacement transition coaching is his passion, and Jason partners with law firms to further engage and develop their attorneys through training and outplacement.  Jason works with his clients to develop a business plan, land that next client, elevate their personal brand, make a career change, or transition into retirement. Jason enjoys speaking on and moderating panels and presenting career and business development seminars and webinars at staff retreats, conferences and training sessions.  Jason is “an attorney by marriage.”  You can email him at jason@readysetlaunch.net and follow him on twitter @jasoncareers.

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