maximizing Conferences and Seminars, Part 4

This is part four in a four part series about ways to make the most of your attendance at a conference.

Step 3: Follow up after the conference

If you had a good conference, you most likely came home with several dozen business cards or names of individuals with whom you will want to follow up. Initiating contact within the first week or two is important. Plan your schedule to be able to accomplish this. Any longer than two weeks and people’s memories begin to fade. The glow of meeting you will have worn off.

You’ll also want to follow up with those that you were unable to connect with at the conference. Plan time to send notes to these individuals as well and send a nice note apologizing for not connecting with, offer your insights on the conference and offer to meet them at a future date.

Lastly, add the new contacts to your address book and plan out on your calendar when you will reach out again to them.

Everyone in the firm should benefit from the knowledge that you gained at the conference. Write a brief summary of the most important information gleaned from the conference and share it with others in the firm. In addition to key learnings, share the names and positions of the people you met at the conference. Often times, others will know the people or companies you met and new opportunities will develop through these conversations.

A successful conference takes effort. But those that put the time into it will more likely reap the rewards.


If I can help you get the most out of your event attendance, give Eric Dewey a call at 502.693.4731. You'll find that I am an eager resource and that it costs nothing to talk.