No matter what industry you are in, you will find that there will be a conference that allows you to mingle and mix with relevant people in your line of work. If you are involved with television production, you will find that the MIPCOM ’15 event, taking place in Cannes in October of 2015 is an ideal opportunity for you to network with some of the leading players in your business area.
When it comes to making the most of your time at a conference, there is a lot to be said for taking it seriously and the following tips will go a long way to ensuring you can achieve your aims and ambitions at an event like this.
Draw up your aims
If you are attending an event like MIPCOM, you should be looking to achieve something tangible from it. Whether it is to arrange contracts, develop new contacts in other areas or sectors or come back with new shows or ideas, you need to have some focus that justifies that your attendance. This should be the first thing that you do and this will drive your activities at the conference.
Be on time
The timetable for conferences and events are released well in advance and you should be able to draw up a personal timetable with all of the events and features that you want to see. There is no excuse for being late at these events, so make sure that you know what is happening and tailor your day around making the key events.
Be prepared
If you are looking to hand over business cards or promotional material, make sure that you have these with you. If it is likely that people will ask questions on what you and your business has to offer, make sure that you can answer these questions. If you are prepared, you will come across as professional and you make a better impression on people you meet.
Be fresh and ready to learn
When many people hear about a conference, they think of it as an excuse to party. There are benefits from networking with people in a more relaxed environment but if you want to connect with others and learn, you need to be at your best. This means getting plenty of sleep and not partying the night away. If you achieve success at your conference, you will have plenty of time to celebrate later.
Be ready to network
One of the biggest factors in the popularity of these events is having the chance to network with other people in your industry, so make sure that you are ready to network. You want to have promotional material you can hand over and you need to know what you are looking for. The two key factors when it comes to being ready to network are:
- Know what you have to offer
- Know what you are looking for
Networking and connecting with other people is a two way thing. Yes, you should be looking for ways that you can boost your business but if you want to receive benefits, you should be looking for ways in which you can help other people. This means that knowing what you are able to offer others is a great starting point in connecting with other people.
Networking successfully is all about the “give and take” so knowing what you can give and knowing what you are looking to take will help you to make the most of this opportunity.
Have fun
While you are working, you want to enjoy yourself at these events. If you feel relaxed and are having fun, you will find that you can connect with other people in a more effective manner, so lighten up and enjoy the atmosphere.
You will find that having a good standard of accommodation will help you to make the most of your time at a conference. For the MIPCOM 2015 event, you want to obtain a good standard of accommodation in Cannes, and this is something that should be within your reach, no matter what budget you have. If you want to feel refreshed and at your best, make sure that you are staying locally and in a place where you can relax and prepare.
Andrew Reilly is a freelance writer with a focus on news stories and consumer interest articles. He has been writing professionally for 9 years but has been writing for as long as he can care to remember. When Andrew isn’t sat behind a laptop or researching a story, he will be found watching a gig or a game of football.