How To Get The Most From Your Next Business Conference

By Carrie Madren

Nearly every day of the year, conferences for every industry, every niche and every type of business convene across the world.

Attending a conference in your industry or area of interest can boost your market insight, expose you to new ideas, help you grow professionally and offer opportunities to meet new contacts.

Unlike corporate employees, who often get all-expenses-paid trips to attend conferences, micro-business owners pay their own way—and need to make every dollar and hour count. Even if an event is local, it will likely take you away from your company for the better part of a day.

With more at stake, small-business owners should strategize their attendance at any conference, taking action before, during and after.

Follow these expert tips and advice so you can make the most of the next conference you attend.


Before You Go

“When you go to a conference, you have a finite amount of time,” says Patrick Morris of the Small Business Administration’s Office of Outreach and Advocacy in Washington, D.C. “So the first thing is to do your homework: What are your objectives? What do you want to achieve?”

Perhaps you hope to make business contacts or search for potential partners or clients. Maybe you want to gain knowledge or shop for new product ideas. You mi...