As a working professional, chances are you have been encouraged to attend more business conferences or summits.
For some, that may beg the question — “But why?”
“With the endless information available on the internet at the touch of a button, who needs to physically attend a conference?”
Well, there are several important reasons why all working professionals should be frequently attending conferences & summits, and throughout this blog post, you will learn (or re-learn!) seven of them!
| Table of Contents |
|
1. Networking and Learning Opportunities 2. Participate in Knowledge Building Activities 3. Engage in Face to Face Communication 4. Explore Strategic Business Partnerships |
One of the most important benefits in attending a summit is being able to gain exposure to the endless networking opportunities it can provide, because everyone in attendance is looking to learn (even during the latter stages of their careers).
Inevitably, it is much easier and more valuable to learn from those who are also willing to learn from you. There is no sense of competition, but rather, groups of industry practitioners that are genuinely interested in improving their (and others’) knowledge within their professional field.
Depending on the size of the summit, there can be upwards of hundreds of delegates looking to expand their network and make industry connections, which increases the likelihood of you being able to leave having made important connections. The quality of these connections can be invaluable to your professional development, as well as the continued success of your organization.
Another major benefit to attending a summit is the various structured, knowledge-building activities they generally offer. You could listen to several keynote speakers, attend 1-on-1 meetings, participate in a roundtable discussion, and hear from a panel of industry experts all in one day.
Truthfully, there are not many other environments where you will be so easily exposed to these kinds of knowledge-building activities in one setting. As long as you attend the summit with an open mind, you will be sure to leave with newfound knowledge and insights to bring back to your organization.
While the internet is a convenient method to forge connections and learn new information, nothing quite beats the ability to have face-to-face conversations and genuine human interactions.
The connections you create face-to-face will generally be much stronger, as the conversations can flow freely and openly without having to rely on technology. It also helps strengthen any future communication due to the nature of how the connection was initially created.
Due to the variety of executives and companies that will be in attendance, there are endless opportunities to build new business relationships, including ones that you may not have previously considered.
As an executive, a major benefit to attending a summit is the chance to be in direct communication with top solution providers all at once. It can often be very difficult and overwhelming to find business partners organically, especially for certain niche business models. If this is one of your business issues, attending a summit may be the simplest and most convenient way to discover new solutions and innovative technology that will significantly elevate your organization’s processes.
Most of the content presented at an executive-level summit is centered around current industry trends and where your industry is heading in the near future. For most organizations, keeping up with industry trends is crucial to remaining competitive and/or becoming an industry leader. Throughout the day at work, you may ask yourself questions like “What is the current state of the supply chain industry?” or “How are top companies in the industry best optimizing their manufacturing processes?”
If these are the kinds of questions you find yourself searching the internet looking for the answer to, attending a summit is a no-brainer for your own knowledge, and the enhancement of your company upon returning from the summit.
The keynote speakers are often the most exciting part of a summit, because they are the experts of the experts on their subject! As C-Suite Executives and VPs of their respective organizations, they have spent years learning and perfecting their knowledge, and are eager to share their findings with an audience.
In attendance at a summit, you can expect to hear valuable content that will inspire and motivate you once you have returned to work and into the future.
Aside from all the professional reasons, there is also the fun element of attending conferences! Most of them will require some form of travel, which gives you the chance to experience other places in the world while still working.
By taking the time to enhance your professional development, you are also gaining the experience to travel and create new memories, whether it is with members of your team, or new connections you form there.
Take advantage of the opportunity to have a change in your normal routine, and experience everything the summit has to offer.
The possibilities are truly endless.
---------
We hope this blog post has helped make it clear why all industry executives should attend conferences/summits on a frequent basis, based on the seven reasons above.
So, which summit are you planning to attend next?
P.S. If you are having trouble deciding which conference is right for you, stay tuned for our follow up blog post.
Subscribe so you never miss a blog!