As members of the tourism industry we occasionally have the exciting perk of speaking at or attending conferences and trade shows. Although the socialising and networking can be fun, our companies and organisations derive the most benefits from these if we’re prepared to offer and take as much as we can at these events. As Executive Manager for Marketing at Cape Town Tourism, I have attended many conferences and discovered a few life-hacks to help make the most out of conferences.

Choose the conferences that offer the most value in terms of significant exposure and one-on-one contacts. The preparatory work is essential. Once you are at the event it may be too late to leverage the potential.

Who’s there?

Use LinkedIn and Twitter to find out more about the delegates and especially the speakers who are of interest to you. You can chat with them directly before the event to organise appointments to speak to them in more detail about ideas and areas of mutual interest. You can research who will be attending as well as what marketing opportunities exist within the event framework as well as in the days prior to and after the event and after hours.

Part of your preparation includes targeting media partners, including editors, journalists and bloggers. Create a list and contact them in advance for a meeting or potential media exposure: some events allow you to invite media representatives along, but you can always arrange interview opportunities even if the journalists do not personally attend.

Once you have a clearer idea of who’s going to be there you can go armed with targeted offerings for specific contacts to maximise the time spent together. You can also generate plenty of talking points before you go for interviews or panel discussions so that you aren’t left scrambling to research information at the last minute.

Before you leave for the conference, find out whether or not you’ll have Internet access. WiFi at the venue may be intermittent, leaving you unable to access your work email at all times. Live-tweeting is a great opportunity to let others know you are there, to see what others are saying and to connect with people you find interesting. Consistent Internet access is your friend while travelling.

Networking can intimidate people. If you don’t know anyone, networking sessions can feel a little awkward, but you can have some very meaningful and productive chats over a glass of wine. To get started, join a group of three or more people and introduce yourself rather than interrupting someone else’s possibly intense one-on-one conversation.

The devil’s in the detail

Most of us struggle to remember names, so create a database and build your network before and while attending the conference. Get as many names as you can, along with contact details and notes about their organisations, what they do and who they are within those organisations. Do that while talking or straight afterwards while the memories are fresh.

In fact, note-taking is a skill that will bear fruit for you. Take notes and write them up immediately for your reports and to add to your marketing intelligence. A remarkable conversation or a striking presentation can easily be forgotten, particularly if there are many side-events and networking opportunities throughout the duration of the conference. I have found that the flights home make a good space for me to collect my thoughts and recollections while they’re fresh, and this helps me to disseminate any insights and inspiration I may have had with my colleague once I have returned home.

The event isn’t over once it’s over: you should follow up straight away with the valuable contacts you’ve made. This will help to establish the relationship and help you to avoid having to remind someone of who you are a few weeks or months later.

If you’re travelling, one of the biggest disasters you could face would be losing essential items. As tourism industry professionals, we know that when on the road you should carry copies of your passport and other travel documents and have an additional bank card in case of emergencies. Also make back-up copies of any presentations or documents you may need (you can do this using Cloud technology or on flash drives) just in case your computer or mobile device goes missing or crashes.

With just a little preparation you can make your conference attendance more productive, you’ll leave with more contacts, leads and inspiration and potential partnerships.

We have made strategic and beneficial international relationships and partnerships in this way as a tourism destination marketing organisation, and also some friendships along the way.