{"id":572172,"date":"2023-02-08T08:40:23","date_gmt":"2023-02-08T16:40:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=arcuser&#038;p=572172"},"modified":"2023-02-08T08:40:23","modified_gmt":"2023-02-08T16:40:23","slug":"30-tips-for-networking-at-conferences-and-other-events","status":"publish","type":"arcuser","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcuser\/30-tips-for-networking-at-conferences-and-other-events","title":{"rendered":"30 Tips for Networking at Conferences and Other Events"},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","castos_file_data":"","podmotor_file_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[25032,10922],"tags":[322972,348462],"arcuser_issues":[483782],"class_list":["post-572172","arcuser","type-arcuser","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education-2","category-esri-events","tag-career-development","tag-professional-development","arcuser_issues-au-winter-2023"],"acf":{"short_description":"Ideas for getting the most out of conferences and other events.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":569822,"file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"blockquote","content":"For many people, attending conferences can be exciting or daunting, especially if you want to put yourself out there to network and meet other professionals in your field. If you are a natural introvert, you\u2019ve probably struggled a time or two in adapting to professional environments. Being open to new experiences and meeting new people at a conference can be especially difficult for someone who has introverted tendencies or is new to attending professional conferences."},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<h3>Try These Suggestions Before the Conference<\/h3>\r\n1 Write your goals down ahead of time. What are the action items for you? What would you like to gain from attending the conference?\r\n2 Plan to give yourself extra personal time. An extra 10\u00a0minutes can make a world of difference because you will have time to meditate, journal, or grab that quick coffee or breakfast item.\r\n3 Prepare in advance\u2014but not too much. Try to keep conversations casual and organic instead of scripted.\r\n4 Practice your conversation starters on a vendor. They\u2019re paid to talk and have interesting stuff to talk about.\r\n5 Schedule a meeting with a vendor or product rep. This is a low-risk environment to practice your technical conversation skills.\r\n6 Begin with the end in mind. Knowing your end goal can help keep you on track and prevent your nerves from consuming you.\r\n<h3>Use These Tips to Take a Proactive Approach<\/h3>\r\nIf you\u2019re asked a question and you do not know the answer, ask for the business card or contact information for the questioner and get back to them. Write the question you want to answer, perhaps on the back of the business card.\r\n8 Dress professionally. First impressions are everything.\r\n9 Force yourself to ask one question per session. Often people will approach you afterward if they are facing the same issue.\r\n10 Write a question that you want to ask the presenter on the back of your business card. If you don\u2019t have business card, they\u2019re a great networking investment.\r\n11 Pack a few go-to questions when meeting new people such as:\r\n- What\u2019s a fun project you\u2019ve done in the last three months?\r\n- What\u2019s been your biggest struggle lately?\r\n- Which presentations have you liked so far?\r\n- Which presentation are you most looking forward to?\r\n12 Charge up your introvert battery before going. Also, make sure to plan downtime during the conference so you can relax between sessions or networking events.\r\n13 Be brave! GIS people are the best and you already have so much in common with other people attending the conference. Everyone is there for the same reason\u2014to learn and grow professionally.\r\n14 Look at the agenda ahead of time and schedule your sessions. Choose a mix of technical presentations, product updates, special interest groups, Expo hall events, and\u2014most importantly\u2014downtime.\r\n15 Scan the room and sit next to someone who is sitting alone. Being in the same situation can lead to a conversation and could help you make a great connection.\r\n16 Use social media, such as LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok, to connect to companies or individuals.\r\n<h3>How to Go Above and Beyond<\/h3>\r\n17 Gamify the event: turn the conference into a challenge where you need to meet one new person each day.\r\n18 Approach a speaker of a session or workshop afterward to introduce yourself.\r\n19 Follow your favorite organizations, such as URISA Vanguard Cabinet, and post social media content about the conference. Like, comment, or message them. This could lead to an in-person connection.\r\n20 Attend a panel session. Take notes not only on the questions and answers but also on your observations on how panelists answer questions on the fly.\r\n21 Say hello to other conference attendees and offer them a business card. Most professionals are interested in connecting and learning about the work that you do, no matter what your job title.\r\n22 Sit down next to someone for lunch. Ask their name and what they do to get to know them better.\r\n23 Try not to overthink things and go with the flow.\r\n24 Take advantage of any socials, luncheons, or special interest group meetings. Those events can have smaller crowds and an informal format.\r\n25 If you\u2019re interested in meeting someone but are nervous, ask a colleague to introduce you to them.\r\n26 Try the buddy system. Being next to someone you already know can make you more confident.\r\n<h3>Get Creative and Stand Out from the Crowd<\/h3>\r\n27 Wear a badge that lists topics you are interested in. This will encourage people to approach you.\r\n28 Make a list of people you have met virtually over the past three years who you know will be at the conference. Try to meet them in person at the conference. It\u2019s easier to talk to people you already know to some degree.\r\n29 Connect virtually with attendees after the conference by sending them messages on LinkedIn. The next time you see any of those people at a conference, you\u2019ll be more comfortable talking to them.\r\n30 If you are alone at your conference, approach a booth for an organization such as URISA or Esri YPN. Ask the people staffing the booth if they are attending any socials or grabbing dinner and ask if you can join them."},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"Still a little nervous? This probably has at least something to do with the fact that you represent your organization as well as yourself. That\u2019s OK. To help make conferences less intimidating, you can contact members the Esri Young Professionals Network (YPN) team at www.esri.com\/en-us\/about\/ypn\/overview. YPN, in partnership with <a href=\"http:\/\/www.urisa.org\/vanguardcabinet\">URISA Vanguard Cabinet of Young GIS Professionals<\/a>, came up with these 30 tips for networking at conferences or other events. They can help you build your GIS career.\r\n\r\nStepping out of your comfort zone can be tricky. Conferences\u2014large or small\u2014can be incredibly intimidating. These tips and tricks can help you more easily make valuable connections that will help advance your career"}],"references":null},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.9 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Get more out of conferences<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"30 tips to optimize to benefits of attending conferences and other professional events and build your career.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcuser\/30-tips-for-networking-at-conferences-and-other-events\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"30 Tips for Networking at Conferences and Other Events\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"30 tips to 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