In 2010 I paid 100 euro out of my 50 euro monthly student scholarship to attend a conference on PR and digital. And I felt ripped off. I got nothing out of it other than a really bad headache and some buffet food I did not really like.
In time I learned that not all conferences/workshops/summits/industry festivals are born the same. And that most of the times the hype around them is just that, hype to make you believe it is worth investing your time and money. I’ve grown wiser, I think, and I’d like to share my findings with you.
The ‘You’ll Get To Network’ Promise.
No, you won’t. Unless you make an explicit goal out of this and actually identify which of the speakers/exhibitors present at the show you’d like to connect to. My advice is to use that list and know why you want to engage them. Otherwise you’ll end up chatting anyone at the coffee stand just for the sake of networking. Also, if you are not the type to introduce yourself and talk it up then just stop before it becomes awkward.
Choose Speakers Wisely.
I once found myself listening to a Yahoo representative claiming Tumblr is the next raising star in the social media landscape. Eyes rolled and most of us took out our phones and mocked Yahoo on the social networks we actually used.
And this is just one example. Choose wisely what speeches you attend, look at who the speakers are, their role in the company and their involvement in online communities: do they provide value with the content they produce/share? Look for thought leaders or really good specialists and go for speeches with inspiring titles on topics you are interested in. Don’t go for fluff talk like the examples below (I took them from a conference presentation taaking place in October):
- The digital waves of disruption and the impact on an entire generation
- How to generate ‘Valuable Virality’
- Building the Marketing organization for the Next Decade-A Futurist perspective
Beware Of What They’re Selling.
If Yahoo tries to tell you Tumbr is the next best thing you clearly know that, being an interested party, their view is skewed. The same applies with digital agency representatives, consultants, software appliances that promise the automation of all menial tasks. Ask questions, compare with other perspectives and challenge the speakers to provide actual data n what their specialists/tools/software does, not just empty promises to optimize workflows and deliver business intelligence reporting excellence.
Pay for what you need, not what the organizers push for.
You might not need to attend all 3 days of the event, you might only want to hear just one speaker. Can you do that? Then go for it, don’t waste your time and money on what cannot bring you value.
Can you recommend a conference/speaker on digital advertising?
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