EDITOR’S ARTICLE
Good conference and exhibition organisers will even promote social events in the evenings to make this easier. This is particularly helpful to new people in the industry who have not had the chance to meet other like minded individuals and who find it difficult to meet new people.
I am not stating that specialist companies who organise events should not be supported but what I am saying is please do some research – find out the whos and whats and the history of the event before committing to what can amount to a large sum of money in visiting especially if it stretches over several days.
Our magazine and online sections on future events will feature only those which have been vetted and that we believe will be helpful to you and the industry but don’t just take that for granted – check them out yourself and if you do find out something is amiss please let us know.
Let us analyse the various types of events we are invited to attend.
CONFERENCES It may seem fairly obvious but the most successful conferences have the most relevant speakers specific to what information you require. It is therefore vital to check out the proposed programme and research the speakers.
Once you have made that decision then look at the available time given to networking (or chatting to colleagues as we used to call it!). Most organisers recognise this and balance direct information with free to roam periods so that you have plenty of time to chat. It is no lie that you probably learn more from colleagues than from experienced presenters! It is certainly true in my professional experience that you learn more in the bars and restaurants in the evenings than you do during the day in conferences – however these opportunities would not exist of course if the conference was not scheduled.
EXHIBITIONS Exhibitions are more aligned with straight forward business conversations where buyers and sellers can get together and discuss their needs and build up good professional relationships.
There is ample time for networking given that the stands are there for a large part of the day with knowledgeable staff willing to give you their time in the hope of getting your business.
The most successful exhibitions are those which run in conjunction with well organised conferences and you are given the opportunity to mix and match. This is the best way of serving a visitor’s specific needs – as long as there is sufficient time allowed during sessions in the conference to allow vital decision makers to visit company stands. A balance is required and most long term conference and exhibition organisers usually get this about right – if they don’t, tell them and they will change to suit because they want you to come back again!
In short, the biggest conferences and exhibitions are not always the best but they do attract people in larger numbers and you can get many weeks worth of learning and important business done in one day, if you organise yourself efficiently and effectively.
NETWORKING EVENTS These are usually held on a more local level and less likely to be overtly commercial. They are often organised by membership associations, government authorities and business groups.
They are often free to attend - certainly to members of associations but many allow potential members to visit and see what benefits may be gained by joining up.
Businesses are invited to set up promotional material and exchange business cards but there is always a more relaxed atmosphere and the organisers try very hard not to allow what could be described as hard sell tactics because visitors would feel trapped and would be therefore less likely to attend again.
One particular event which deserves a mention was the Enterprise Europe Yorkshire 3 Day Event which was covered in the last issue. It was organised specifically for a Danish delegation visiting the Hull and Humberside area in response to mutual business interests between the two areas.
It culminated on day 2 with what was described as speed dating, but in a business sense where companies booked slots with each other to speak briefly about the mutual benefits which could be gained by making professional partnerships. It proved very successful for those involved and could be adapted to suit certain areas of the UK and Europe to help specific businesses and therefore the whole industry.
All in all such events are to be encouraged. But please take some time to do your homework before making a decision to attend. It could turn out to be a very costly mistake.
Wind Energy NETWORK
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