3 Steps to Follow Before Selecting Your Next Conference/Summit

Picture this: You are at work, spending your whole day looking for new solutions to solve your most pressing business challenge.

There is information on the internet, but it is all repetitive, and you find that it is not actually providing you with anything you can implement. You recall reading a blog a few weeks ago titled “7 Reasons Why You Should Attend More Conferences/Summits,” and decide that you want to attend one. 

But where do you start?

With so many industry events available and (most likely!) a very busy schedule on your end, it is crucial to be sure you are selecting the right one that will help you achieve your professional goals.

Before you begin your search, start by asking yourself questions like:

• How will l get the right value for my investment?
• Which one will provide me with the solutions I am looking for?
• Which one will I be willing to leave my busy job for a few days for?
• Which one will help me establish new business partnerships and increase revenue?

Once you have approximate answers to the above questions, you should start to gain a better understanding of your specific reasons for wanting to attend. This will allow you to begin going through the following steps:

As a busy executive, it is important to first and foremost ask yourself the reason you want to be attending a conference/summit. This answer will likely vary for everyone, but below are some general guiding questions you may consider during your decision making process.

Are you looking…  

• To network with old industry colleagues?
• To make new connections amongst executives in similar roles?
• To find new business solutions/partnerships?
• To learn new industry trends?
• To hear from keynote speakers?

Once you have determined your reasons for wanting to attend, try to find a few different conferences/summits that you believe will help you achieve your goal, or at least come as close as possible to achieving it. This will be the first (and arguably most important) step in the decision making process, so make sure you take some time in formulating your answers to these questions.

When it comes to picking a conference/summit that will require your investment, it is crucial to conduct research to determine the best bang for your buck. With so many options, it can be difficult to pick apart the small details to determine what the true differences are, and it can end up being very overwhelming. 

To begin your research, be sure to review the website pages, social media accounts, or any other publicly available information. There are multiple factors that are crucial to keep in mind to look for as part of your online research when choosing a conference/summit. Some of the actions you can take during this process include:

• Reviewing publicly available presentations or highlight reels for the events. These help provide a good feel of the on-site experience and see some of the past event experiences.
• Listen to/read testimonials from previous attendees. These testimonials will be a true indication of the personal experience the event provides, and could ultimately help you make your final decision of choosing to attend. 
• Reviewing the agenda (if made available) to determine if the content being addressed/presented aligns with your goals.
• View the list of attendees who have already committed to attending to help you determine if these are people you want to network with.
• Alternatively, some summits/conferences may have information that is password protected, so ensure you fill out their forms to receive the password and gain access to further details for the event.

These will all provide you with different forms of information that you can combine together to create a bigger picture of each of your potential summits/conferences. With a constructed set of options, we suggest creating a pros and cons list for each of your options and determining which one makes the most sense for yourself, and for spending your money and time. 

Once your research is complete and you have narrowed down a few options, you can move onto the next step, which is to speak to the events’ representatives. 

Every major conference/summit is going to have a dedicated team of salespeople with all the information to answer any questions you may have. If you are on the fence between a few different ones, speak to the organization's sales staff and allow them to help make the process easier for you by clarifying your questions/concerns. Chances are, a quick chat with them will give you all the information you have been needing to make your decision.

Speaking directly to those who can help is always a good idea as a starting position before you make a final decision. Even if you believe the event might not be a 100% fit for you after your research, the team may mention something you missed previously that could end up being the reason you decide to attend. Overall, it is never a bad idea to take 10 minutes out of your day to inform yourself on any necessary details to help make your decision.

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We hope the breakdown of these steps has helped make the process of choosing your next event simpler and more effective for you. If you have been looking for a new Summit to attend, check out our portfolio of events here: 

American Food Manufacturing Summit | November 14-15, 2023 | Westin Chicago Lombard

American Aerospace & Defense Summit | December 4-5, 2023 | We-Ko-Pa Resort, Phoenix AZ

American Manufacturing Summit | March 28-29, 2024 | Westin Chicago Lombard

American Biomanufacturing Summit | April 10-11 2024 | Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport 

American Supply Chain Summit | April 30-May 1, 2024 | Hyatt Regency Dallas

American CIO & IT Summit | May 2024 

American Packaging Summit | June 18-19, 2024 | Westin Chicago Lombard 

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