We can joke that bigger is usually better, but when it comes to attending conferences, let us share with you why our smaller events are way more valuable…
Big conferences are fun. Huge trade shows offer massive exhibit halls, vendors ready to hand out their tchotchkes to display on your desk or give to the kids. You sport a name badge as big as your notebook hanging around your neck. Multiple tracks and hundreds of people bustle about. You’re overwhelmed, and stay close to your colleagues (safety in numbers). You choose the one or two sessions that relate specifically to you. You come home with your conference bag, a few nuggets of wisdom, exposure to topics that are nice to know, but don’t really apply to your job or career.
When it comes to your job, your specialty, your most significant business challenges, smaller is better for YOU! Here’s why…
- The conference is specific to your industry and specific to your job title or job function – no need to ask others in the room what they do – you are attending because this is your industry and the topic is practically your job title. Everyone in the room shares the same language of industry, the same or similar challenges in how their companies are structured and are there to learn specific lessons to bring back to their jobs.
- Almost every speaker on the agenda has a story to tell about their lessons learned on this topic. Rather than catch one or two presentations on a somewhat-related-topic at a large trade show, a smaller event provides you with two-days gathering gold take-aways from 12+ utility speakers and industry thought leaders.
- Ratio of speakers to attendees – rather than being one of many, a lower ratio of speakers to attendees means more access for you. You can ask questions of each speaker and engage in discussions that relate to your business challenges. If you’re not able to fit your question in their session, you can ask during group breakfasts, lunch, breaks, or at the networking Happy Hour.
- Meet everyone in the room, and learn what’s weighing on them. This is the session in the conference where participants learn that they are not alone, not as far behind as they thought they were compared to other companies and that many in the room have similar learning goals of the conference.
- Get everyone’s contact information. Seriously, when have you attended a large trade show/conference that gave you everyone’s contact information so you could keep in touch? We do. Community is a valuable takeaway at our events.
- Vet solution providers. At a large conference, you are bombarded with big booths, competitive branding, and hungry business development reps whose goal is to make as many contacts as possible. You are a number to them. At our events, we a) limit the number of solution providers, b) invite solution providers that have worked with our speakers (so they come recommended), and c) encourage valuable conversation so they learn your needs while you learn about their solutions.
- Come home with actionable strategies and tactics that you learned first-hand from speakers and fellow participants. A plan to move forward is more valuable than a bag full of desk toys.
- All presentations and conference materials are available for your review… at no extra cost.
- 10-12 sessions on one topic vs. 2-3 you’ll get a large trade show.
- At a smaller event, we have the flexibility to change course on a dime. The group wants to continue this discussion for another 15 minutes? We can accommodate that.
Attending any conference will give you valuable information about your industry, attending a smaller conference will give you the tools to succeed! We give you our guarantee, if you are not 100% satisfied with the experience at one of our conferences, we will invite you to a future event of your choosing at no cost.
Ashley Baptiste
CEO
Conferences Connect
