Cranmore Park Blog
Cranmore Park Blog
6 important tips for conference networking
You're heading to a conference or exhibition and looking to build up your industry contacts book. This means putting yourself out their and networking with the people who matter. The only problem is, you're not exactly sure what to do.
There's more to business networking than simply gatecrashing somebody else's conversation and throwing a sales pitch at them. If this is your approach, you're not likely to get very far. In fact, some of the people you'd like to get to know will go out of their away to avoid your intended meeting.
Seek help from others when planning a conference
If you're planning a conference for the first time, you might not realise what a big job you've undertaken. Even if it's going to be a relatively manageable event in terms of numbers on the day, or over the period of the event, there's still an awful lot of preparation to be done in advance.
You want to make the best possible impression with everyone who attends, in order to build a strong reputation which will stand you and your organisation in good stead in the future. In order to achieve this, you've got to hire great facilities, organise high-quality events, book the right speakers and ensure everyone's needs are met.
Technology 'benefits trade show exhibitors and attendees'
The use of technology can make a real difference to both exhibitors and attendees at trade shows, it has been claimed. Writing for Business 2 Community, Denise Graziano, chief executive at Graziano Associates, said IT can be used to improve lead generation, sales and the customer experience.
"Technology has elevated the capabilities and levelled the playing field for event planners, exhibitors and attendees," she claimed. However, Ms Graziano said it is not just about lead capturing - it is about the attendee experience before, during and post-show.
Read more: Technology 'benefits trade show exhibitors and attendees'
Always measure the results from training
It costs money for businesses to run training sessions for their employees.
As well as the cost of hiring facilities, paying for specialist instructors and provisioning the required training materials, there are also the lost man-hours to contend with. If employees are in training rather than getting on with their jobs, this can have an impact on productivity in the short term.
Plan your gatherings in advance of the conference
There's much more to conferences than just the programme of events - the workshops, seminars and keynote speakers. They are a convergence of like-minded individuals, who very often have similar backgrounds, experiences and ambitions. As such, conferences offer fantastic opportunities for networking and making valuable additions to your contacts book.
But if you fail to plan properly in advance, you might struggle to make the most of these networking opportunities. Very often, there is a packed programme of events, which leaves little additional time for socialising - particularly if it's only a one-day gathering. You might be eager to rendezvous with certain people, but simply not get the chance.
Read more: Plan your gatherings in advance of the conference
Employee training 'a top IT security priority'
n the digital age, organisations are acutely aware of the importance of safeguarding sensitive information and keeping data away from prying eyes. More and more business is being conducted online, making it ever-more crucial that appropriate safeguards are put in place. Data breaches can result in fines for the organisations involved, and also cause reputational damage which has long-lasting impacts for the business as a whole.
So no wonder then that organisations are eager to shore up their defences and minimise the chances of an incident occurring. Technology has a role to play in reducing the likelihood of a breach, but education is equally important. Employees need to know what they can and can't do online, and how their actions over the internet can cause problems for their organisation.
Dressing 'smart' for an exhibition or trade show
If you're representing your business at a trade show or exhibition, it goes without saying you'll want to look the part personally. Customers aren't going to be impressed if you turn up in a T-shirt and jeans, and nor would you be if you were attending in the same capacity. The chances are you would take your business elsewhere.
As a rough guide, it makes sense to dress one level smarter than the people who you want to become your customers. If you work on the premise that many trade show or exhibition visitors will arrive in smart-casual attire, you want to be wearing a suit or smart dress. Putting on a suit isn't going to earn you scores of new customers. But failing to do so could see you miss out on them.
10 essential things to look for in a meeting room
If you're staging a meeting or training session away from your normal business premises, there's no point hiring a second or third-rate facility. If you're paying for the use of a meeting room, then it needs to be fit for purpose. As well as being equipped with all the necessary furnishings and fittings, it needs to give off a strong, professional vibe. If the meeting room doesn't achieve this, you may as well save your money and use the staff canteen instead.
So what exactly makes a great meeting room? Here are ten must-haves for a facility you'll be happy to use time and time again:
Read more: 10 essential things to look for in a meeting room
8 ways to deliver more effective employee training
So you're running training sessions, but your employees don't seem to be taking the information onboard. What can you do to make your learning and development programmes more effective, ensuring employees gain new skills, acquire knowledge and are better prepared to do their job to the best of their ability? Here are eight tips for making the most of employee training:
Read more: 8 ways to deliver more effective employee training
What you need to remember when organising exhibitions
If you're organising a trade show, conference or exhibition, your main concern is to ensure everything goes smoothly and the event is considered a success. Both exhibitors and attendees - whether they are individual consumers or business representatives - need to go away satisfied with the experience, knowing they have been properly catered for. So long as you achieve this, they will be happy to return again next year.
One of the first things you need to get right is the venue. Choosing specialist conferencing/exhibition facilities in a central location, close to strong transport links, is a no-brainer. You want exhibitors and other attendees to arrive with ease and be in comfort for the whole day. This means selecting a room or rooms with sufficient space and ensuring you don't go over capacity. If everyone feels cramped and crowded, this will impact on their experience.
Read more: What you need to remember when organising exhibitions
Focus on your target customers at trade shows
Knowing who to target at trade shows increases your chances of turning leads into new customers, it has been claimed.
Lew Hoff, president at Bartizan, urged exhibitors to define who they want to speak to and then target them specifically.
Make sure your trade show doesn't clash with another
What could be worse than organising a fantastic trade show or exhibition at no small cost and finding that hardly anyone turns up?
If you've done your research properly, this nightmare scenario is unlikely to materialise. However, if you forge ahead without gauging demand, you could be left with egg on your face.
Read more: Make sure your trade show doesn't clash with another
Give each conference 'a clean slate', professionals urged
If you're taking time out to attend a conference, it's important that you make the most of the experience. There's always things that need doing in the workplace, so if you're sacrificing those man-hours to attend an industry event, it's important to gain value from your attendance.
According to speaker and author Michele Lawson, approaching conferences with the right attitude is all-important. Writing for the Huffington Post, she claimed there are two things that can hinder an individual's conference experience. These are the preconceived notion of experience and expectation".
Read more: Give each conference 'a clean slate', professionals urged
Trade show marketing 'can transform SMEs'
Trade show attendance can have a transformative effect for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), it has been claimed.
In an article for Fresh Business Thinking, Aura Print claimed that such events offer a valuable marketing opportunity for growing companies.
How do you find a great conference speaker?
If you can secure a great keynote speaker, you've got every chance of organising a great conference overall. The headline act, who delivers the main address, has the ability to make or break the conference.
If the speaker delivers the goods, there's a greater chance of people going home happy, feeling as if they have got value for money from their trip. But if their address flounders, it's likely to leave a lasting negative impression for everyone in the room. And next year, they might not be so eager to attend.
10 things to avoid at your trade show stand
Creating the perfect trade show stand can give your business a real boost, in terms of attracting new customers and boosting revenues. But there are a number of common pitfalls you'll need to avoid if you're going to make the best possible use of your advertising space. Here are ten big 'no-nos' for your trade show marketing:
