Conference season is here! Are you prepared?

Like a summer thunderstorm, conference season is rolling in quickly!

Don't arrive at the big show and hope your best prospects magically wander up and introduce themselves.

(Spoiler: it's not going to happen)

Instead, do these three things before the conference:

- Send an email blast to your target list, saying you'll be at the conference and inviting them to connect

- Reach out to your current clients one-on-one, offering to meet up at the conference (host a dinner)

- Invite clients and prospects to a memorable event or experience. ("If it didn't create a memory, it wasn't an economically distinctive customer experience." - Joe Pine, The Experience Economy)

CQ

Why shouldn't I just show up and hope prospects find me at the conference?

Because that approach relies entirely on chance. Real conference success comes from preparation done beforehand, not from hoping the right people wander up to a booth.

Why send an email blast to the target list before the conference?

Because it lets prospects know in advance that there's an opportunity to connect in person. Without that heads-up, a chance meeting at the conference is left entirely to luck.

Why reach out to current clients individually instead of just seeing them there?

Because a personal invitation, like offering to host a dinner, turns a passive "we'll probably run into each other" into an actual planned touchpoint that strengthens the relationship.

Why does creating a memorable event or experience matter so much?

Because, as Joe Pine put it, if it didn't create a memory, it wasn't an economically distinctive customer experience. A forgettable interaction doesn't do much for the relationship, no matter how many people show up.

When should these three things actually happen?

Before the conference starts, not during it. All three require lead time to plan and reach out, which is why preparation ahead of the event matters more than anything done on the show floor itself.