Conference Planning Booklet

Conference Success Secrets Planning Booklet

This Conference Planning Booklet is a hands on
companion to the Conference Success Secrets
audio program. Find out more at
www.ConferenceSuccessSecrets.com.

Published by Center for Networking Excellence, LLC
666 Greenwich Street #428
New York, NY 10014
212-812-4408 (phone)
info@NetworkingExcellence.com (email)
www.NetworkingExcellence.com (website)

To order copies of this booklet, visit www.ConferenceBooklets.com.

Copyright © 2007 by Liz Lynch. All rights reserved. Reproduction or
translation of any part of this work by any means without permission of the
author is unlawful. No resell rights were included with the purchase of this
booklet.
ISBN: 0-9724239-4-X

Copyright © 2007, Liz Lynch. All rights reserved.
For more resources and tools for networking smarter, not harder,
visit www.NetworkingExcellence.com


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Before the Conference
My Objectives for this Conference 4

10 Quick Tips for Pre-Conference Preparation 6

My Planning Checklist & Timeline for This Conference 7

During the Conference
My Overall Game Plan for This Conference 8

My Conference Schedule at a Glance 9

10 Quick Tips for Peak Conference Performance 10

My Treasures from This Conference 11

After the Conference
10 Quick Tips for Finishing Strong 12

My Follow Up Tracker for This Conference 13

Quick Reference
My Evaluation of This Conference 14

My Page 15



MY OBJECTIVES FOR THIS CONFERENCE

€ 1) Learn something new

€ 2) Nourish a personal interest

€ 3) Explore a new industry

€ 4) Do informal market research

€ 5) Market yourself and your business

€ 6) Reach someone who’s hard to reach

See Chapter 2 of the Conference Success Secrets program for details on these
objectives and how to use them to reach your big picture goals.



€ 7) See what the competition is doing

€ 8) Solidify existing relationships

€ 9) Rub elbows with movers and shakers

€ 10) Forge alliances and problem solve

€ 11) Other reasons

See Chapter 2 of the Conference Success Secrets program for details on these
objectives and how to use them to reach your big picture goals.



10 QUICK TIPS FOR PRE-CONFERENCE PREPARATION

1. Get the conference into your calendar as soon as
possible. Block off travel time the day before and after, if
necessary. Let co-workers, clients, and caregivers know as soon as
possible, so they can make plans and minimize schedule conflicts.

2. Take advantage of discounts and book early. Conferences
often offer early-bird discounts on registration fees and hotel rooms,
and you can also get lower airfares if you’re flying in. Why pay extra
if you don’t have to?

3. Invite a friend. If you know others who could benefit from
attending the conference, invite them along. But don’t spend all of
your time together. You’re there to grow your network.

4. If you’re traveling from out of town, stay at the
conference hotel. You’ll avoid traffic getting to the conference
in the morning, and if you get weighed down with conference
materials, you can quickly drop them off in your room to lighten the
load.

5. Check the weather forecast. If a rain storm is on the way, not
only will you want to be sure to have an umbrella, you’ll also need
to factor in extra travel time for slower traffic.

6. Fill out your conference planner. The more prepared you are
for the conference, the more confidence you’ll have in speaking to
others about your goals and objectives.

7. Get things settled at work and at home. Since you made
the financial and time commitment to be at the conference, you’ll
want to be able to focus on it as much as possible.

8. Wear comfortable, but professional clothing. You’ll be on
your feet and doing a lot of walking to breakout sessions, around
the exhibit hall, etc. You’ll also be meeting a lot of people, so you
want to make the best first impression.

9. Plan to arrive early for registration. You’ll have time to get
the layout of the conference, start your mingling and participate in
any bonus morning activities.

10. Get a good night’s sleep and eat breakfast. It’s going to be
a long day.



MY PLANNING CHECKLIST TIMELINE FOR THIS CONFERENCE

As Early As Possible

€ Register for the conference
€ Make hotel reservations
€ Book flights and/or other transportation
€ Inform colleagues, caregivers and other important people
€ Create conference folder for itineraries, confirmations, directions, etc.
€ Other ___________________________________________________
€ Other ___________________________________________________

At least One Week Before The Conference Date
or Your Departure Date by____________________________
(write in date that is 7 days before)
€ Fill out your conference planner
€ Get address and directions and put in conference folder
€ Conference location
€ Hotel
€ Remind colleagues, caregivers and other important people
€ Other ___________________________________________________
€ Other ___________________________________________________

Couple Days Before The Conference Date
or Your Departure Date by____________________________
(write in date that is 2 days before)
€ Check weather forecast
€ Decide what to wear and/or pack
€ Collect conference tools in one place
€ Confirm coverage at the office and at home
€ Other ___________________________________________________
€ Other ___________________________________________________

No later Than One Week After The Conference
or Your Return Date by____________________________
(write in date that is 7 days after)
€ Complete follow up for contacts made at the conference
€ File expenses for reimbursement
€ Present conference recap to colleagues
€ Other ___________________________________________________
€ Other ___________________________________________________



MY OVERALL GAME PLAN FOR THIS CONFERENCE

My overall goal for attending the conference is to

The activities at the conference (keynotes, sessions, breaks, etc.) that
support this goal are:

The key people (sponsors, speakers, attendees, etc.) I’d like to meet are:

The key questions I’d like to find the answers to are:

The key points about myself I’d like to make in my networking
conversations are:

See Chapter 3 of the Conference Success Secrets program for details on
connecting all the right dots to maximize your experience.



MY CONFERENCE SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

Time Period Activity/Location

___________ ______________________________

___________ ______________________________

___________ ______________________________

___________ ______________________________

___________ ______________________________

___________ ______________________________

___________ ______________________________

___________ ______________________________

___________ ______________________________

___________ ______________________________

___________ ______________________________
___________ ______________________________

___________ ______________________________

___________ ______________________________

___________ ______________________________

___________ ______________________________

___________ ______________________________

___________ ______________________________

See Chapter 3 of the Conference Success Secrets program for details on
connecting all the right dots to maximize your experience.


During the Conference 10

10 QUICK TIPS FOR PEAK CONFERENCE PERFORMANCE

1. Be open to the unexpected. As well-thought out as your

plan may be, you may discover once you’ve arrived that some
part of the program has changed. Your plan is a structure, not a
straight jacket. Go with the flow.
2. Take the initiative to introduce yourself. Whether you’re

standing in line, waiting for a session to start, or walking by an
exhibitor’s booth, talk to strangers and meet as many people as
possible. All it takes is a smile and an outstretched hand.
3. Wear your name tag clipped high on your right lapel.

When you shake hands, people will see it more easily than if it’s
hanging from a string over your belly button.
4. Look at name tags to remember names more easily. For
most of us, it’s not enough to hear a name spoken. We need to
see it in writing. Take time as you’re shaking hands to look at
that person’s name tag. It’s okay to be obvious.
5. To start a conversation, ask a question. Get the other

person talking. Connections happen through conversation.
That’s how you learn about the other person’s goals, find out
what you have in common and discover ways to help each other.
6. Exchange contact info before you leave a conversation.

You’ll need a way to follow up after the conference, but most
people don’t know how to give out business cards smoothly.
Your asking makes it natural for them to give one to you, and it’s
a natural place to give yours out as well.
7. Listen. Dale Carnegie once said that people won’t care how

much you know until they know how much you care. Being
interested in other people and listening to what they have to say
will draw them closer to you.
8. Participate, don’t spectate. You can absorb the experience

like a sponge, or you can interact fully and gain a richer
experience. Take part in QA and exercises and mingle during
networking breaks.
9. Eat at designated times. A growling stomach and low blood

pressure can make it challenging to be at the top of your game.
Trust me on this.
10. Be on your best behavior. Treat everyone with respect, from
the speakers, to the volunteers, to your fellow attendees.


During the Conference 11

MY TREASURES FROM THIS CONFERENCE

1) Things to Follow Up on Today

2) Great Ideas I Heard

3) Quotes to Remember

4) Books, Websites to Look Into

5) Other Lessons Inspiration

See Chapter 4 of the Conference Success Secrets program for
how to work your plan and keep organized throughout your whirlwind day.


After the Conference 12

10 QUICK TIPS FOR FINISHING STRONG

1. Use downtime to download. Take a few minutes to finish
up your Conference Planner Booklet. Jot down key notes, key
takeaways and key to dos that you didn’t capture before. Get it
all out of your mind before you forget.

2. Review your goodie bag. Look through everything you took
back from the conference. There may be some hidden treasures
and helpful information you didn’t see the first time around.

3. Get started. The longer you put off the follow up, the harder
it will be to start. You’ll feel awkward sending out thank you
notes or making follow up calls more than two weeks after the
conference.

4. Follow up first. Taking the initiative to make the first move

shows that you’re organized, you know what you want, and
you’re interested in building a lasting relationship.

5. Don’t ask for too much. While I encourage people to
know what they want and to ask for it, it’s important to ask
appropriately. Don’t send an attorney you just met a list of
legal questions or pump a business consultant for free business
advice.

6. Don’t spam. Having someone’s business card in hand does not
give you license to add that name to your newsletter lists. You
may mention your newsletter and invite them to join, but don’t
add them unless they opt in.

7. Report back as promised. Your boss will see that you took
the conference seriously and weren’t just angling to be away
from the office for a day or two. It will also strengthen your
case for any conferences you’d like to attend in the future.

8. Unwind. Participating fully in a conference, from preparation
to attendance to follow up, can take a lot of time and energy.
Once you’ve completed all of your tasks, be sure to take some
time for yourself to recharge.

9. Strive for continuous improvement. Think about and
capture what worked in your planning, what didn’t, what you
might do differently once you’re there, etc. You’ll increase your
effectiveness at maximizing your conference experiences.

10. Stay connected. Keep budding relationships alive through
email or phone on a regular basis. It may feel awkward to reach
out without having an excuse, so find a way to add value of
some kind by sharing information or offering a recommendation.


After the Conference 13

MY FOLLOW UP TRACKER FOR THIS CONFERENCE

1) Promises Made

2) Ideas for Others

3) Potential Connections to Make

4) Other Ways I Can Help

See Chapter 5 of the Conference Success Secrets program
for follow up strategies that work.


Quick Reference 1

MY EVALUATION OF THIS CONFERENCE

1) Would I attend this conference again? € Yes € No

2) Would I recommend it to a friend? € Yes € No

3) If so, who?

4) What worked well with my plan and strategy?

5) What should I change about my plan or strategy for the
future?

6) Anything else I want to remember?


Quick Reference 1

MY PAGE



ABOUT CONFERENCE SUCCESS SECRETS
More than 27 million people attend conferences, trade shows, and
conventions each year, spending nearly $30 billion. Why are they so
popular? Well, in a finite amount of time, you can accomplish so much
that can help you move forward on your most important professional
and personal goals. And let’s face it, if a goal is important enough, we
can’t reach it on our own. We’ll need information and the help of other
people to get there.
– Excerpt from Conference Success Secrets

A key reason to add conferences to your overall networking strategy
is for the sheer concentration of people and new information you will
have access to at one time that could help you reach your goals.

The Conference Success Secrets program, a multi-media package
of print, audio instruction and this interactive planning guide, was
designed to help make your conference experience more valuable
to YOU. Learn how to prepare for success and build your network
intelligently and efficiently at conventions, trade shows, multi-day
seminars and other big events.

For step-by-step guidance in completing this Conference Planning
Booklet, check out the Conference Success Secrets program at
www.ConferenceSuccessSecrets.com. To order more Conference
Planning Booklets, visit
www.ConferenceBooklets.com.

ABOUT LIZ LYNCH
Liz Lynch is founder and executive director of the Center for
Networking Excellence, which develops products and programs to help
business professionals build profitable relationships.

She is a frequent speaker at conferences and author of 102 Secrets
to Smarter Networking and Networking to Win. In addition, Liz has
contributed to a number of business books and publications, and her
work has been translated into multiple languages.
To find out more about Liz and the Center for Networking Excellence,
and to receive free tips for networking smarter, visit
www.NetworkingExcellence.com.


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