Your GovCon Events Guide

What to Do Before the Event

Many people don’t realize that the bulk of event work is spent on pre-work (about 40% of your time and budget.) That includes registration, travel and lodging, setting up planning pages, coordinating with attendees, conducting attendee research, preparing marketing materials, reaching out to clients and colleagues to set up meetings, etc. These are the most important steps you can take to ensure an event doesn’t feel like a waste of time. Here are four steps to take before the event to ensure the event leads to business growth: 

1. Create an event planning page (or collaboration site) that includes:
2. Conduct Attendee/Participant Research
3. Get Your Elevator Pitch Ready
4. Advertise your attendance 

What to Do at the Event

1. Bring the company experts or leaders to the event to ensure potential customers are meeting with those most knowledgeable about the business and technology.
2. Bring note-takers, helpers, and event buddies (actual humans who can take notes and remind you of follow-up actions and help divide and conquer if you have to meet with multiple people at once). The event buddy system helps ensure you cover as much ground as possible. They can also help you connect with people you otherwise might not have a good connection with.
3. Post on social media during the event (if possible) – make yourself relevant in the field/industry
4. Take great notes. Who did you meet? What would you follow up with them about?
5. Schedule follow-up meetings then and there when possible. Or connect with them immediately on LinkedIn and connect virtually (Note: If you use the LinkedIn mobile app, be sure to download the unique QR code for your profile to make it even easier to connect). This helps you not only remember what you discussed but also keeps the conversation going.
6. Walk around and talk to people! This is an excellent opportunity to try and talk to people you DON’T know. You never know when the next connection could occur … it may be at the line or that free drink.
7. Attend happy hours and other networking events. We know events are often a get-in/get-out situation, but try to attend the after-hours events. The atmosphere is more relaxed, and you can have business and non-business-related conversations that could lead to more business. Find an event buddy (i.e., another work colleague) to be your BD wingman (or woman) at the networking events; it feels less awkward than standing there alone.

What to Do After the Event

1. Conduct an internal debrief
2. Start Follow-Up Campaign

And last but not least, don’t forget to have fun at the event! Sure, it’s work, but enjoy talking to people and learning new things.

Read our in-depth blog with insights and tips from our event coordinator.