Attending conferences and expos are a fantastic way to generate leads for your business, they are also one of my absolutely least favourite things to do. This is the third in a four part blog series, which is a compilation of our favourite survival tips.

While you are there:

• Wear something smart, but comfortable, and if possible distinctive. People will meet a lot of people at conferences, that’s kinda the point, but having a bright red scarf, distinctive tie or colourful coat may make it easier for people to remember, and find you. Note of caution: Go for memorable, not wacky.
• Keep hydrated! Basic but true. If you are running a stall consider providing bottles of water for delegates – most people will be gasping!
• Make eye contact and smile at people.
• Get involved. If you really don’t want to be involved in face-to-face discussions consider tweeting live from the conference using the hashtag – it’s a great way to make online connections.
• Take lots of envelopes – sounds geeky, but if you have different envelopes in your bag for: Call, Email, Research, Meet etc and place business cards in the right ones as you go, it can really improve the quality of your follow up.
• Allow yourself breaks – not just to catch up on your email, but to temporarily switch off. Conferences can be a very intensive experience.