Chapter 6 The Importance of
Conferences
One
of the best sources for a refer network activity is participating in
conferences and trade shows. All professions have either one or the other, and
most academic based professions have both. Some conferences are set up by
professional institutions to societies and can be subspecialty specific, while
other large conferences can band whole academic and professional groups
together. Trade shows are organized by industry and are used to show off
advances in development, readying their producers for investment, trade, and
public marketing.
Conferences
Conferences
are aimed to discuss and disseminate information about theories and practices
for a specific profession or specialty within a profession. For a referral
network to be successful, you must attend at least one conference a year, and
if you want to be truly successful, take part, be active by presenting at a
conference, either an abstract, a poster or even a lecture. There are two ways
to become active and participate in a conference, these are:
· Calls
for participation; where you send in your abstract, poster or lecture
· Instigate
a conference; where you create a group of like-minded professionals and create
a “mark the date” call for a conference.
The
first way is the easiest to get into an established system, and if you
participate in at least two or three conferences every year, your name will
become known amongst your professions peers.
If
you are an active member of a society or institutions or want to create such a
society, you must create a group whose aim is to create a professional society.
As a founding member, you will help lead the way to an annual conference that
will grow beyond the group, and become a society with the executive board,
organizing a committee, meetings, discussion groups, and even a peer review
journal.
If
you prefer not to participate or be active, then attending a conference is the
next level of importance from participating. As an attendee you will meet many
peers as well as companies that attend conferences, marketing their wares to
the participants. Creating a network through attendance is the same as
participation, but without the professional expertise, level added to increase
the effect.
Most
conferences are accompanied by “trade show” area’s that allow the companies
involved in the profession, of which some will be sponsors of the conference,
helping to fund its production, and will showcase services and products that
are directly related to the subject of the conference.
Trade Shows
These
are different environments to conferences, while they do amass people together,
the professions are varied, and the focus is on a product, not a theory or
practice. Industrial sectors or marketing specialists prepare trade shows to
promote awareness of the latest developments and allows companies to showcase
their products and expertise.
Attending
a tradeshow is to increase your knowledge of actual advances in tools and ways
to improve your trade, as well as connecting you to companies and services that
you be able to collaborate with in future developments.
Networking
While
you attend a conference or a trade show, you must be ready for some intense
networking. Building up a network of connections, friends, and clients with the
intention of creating a referring network of professionals that can help expand
your income generating client base.
Not
all members of a referral network will directly bring you, clients, in many
instances they will help you create power bases, groups that help each other
and through that help draw new clients through collaboration. By being part of
the development of new idea’s, concepts and even products, you automatically
gravitate new clients interested in advances in your field of expertise.
Emerging technologies and concepts are all great ways to attract investors and clients
interested in your professional research.
If
you only participate and are not active in either research or presenting in a
trade show, then you must concentrate on building up connections with other
like-minded professionals, or companies that you could develop a working
relationship together in the future.
Mixing Real with Virtual
Modern
conference and trade-show marketing are done online. Conferences can also be
online, although these are still far and few, and virtual conferences are a
growing concept that attracts certain specialties to discuss and share
information online. All real-life conferences (and trade shows) discussions are
continued post conference and usually take place in forums. Where a specific
forum is designated during the conference and members can join and participate
in a continuing collaboration of discussions.
News and PR
Any
presentation can and should be marketed via news and online PR work. If you are
active and participate in a conference, it is not enough to rely on word of
mouth; you must be active in “marketing” your presence online. Create a page
dedicated to your participation in the conference, and link any of your
concepts or idea directly related to this. Some companies and clients will
actively seek the leaders in a profession using search engines, so you must use
SEO content and online marketing techniques to maximize your potential
exposure. The stronger your online presence, the greater your strength in
attracting serious referrers. Professional referring is common, where someone
will refer you because he or she have heard of you or met you and collaborate
with you. Creating a name through conference attendance will generate a lot
more referrals then most realize. One profession that excels at this is the medical
profession. Where leaders in specialties are marketed by their peers based on
their exposure as leaders in practice. Leaders in practice are only known based
on their publications and attendance in conferences and trade shows.
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